On one side of the Lord is a pair of His beloved cows, both mother and calf gazing upon Him with reverence. To the other, a wide-hooded snake slithers up to His pedestal. Sudama stands to one side with His feet crossed the same way as his divine friend, His stance one of pure contentment that comes from simply being next to Him. The pedestal on which the whole arrangement lies has a panel sculpted symmetrically with more upward-gazing cows. The statement-making aureole is the grandest part of this composition. It is grounded on a pair of Yalis, which betrays the South Indian origin of the handiwork. Soft, glimmering bronze in ringlets of varying thicknesses forms an arc above the Lord’s head, culminating in an overpowering Kirtimukha motif. Such a work has the power to keep away adharma from where it is enshrined, as well as establish dharma in its stead.
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