An episode from the Vamana Purana describes the divine form of the Hindu mother goddess Durga as Katyayani, who descended from the Vindhya Mountains on the request of the gods to slay the demon king Mahishasura, radiant like thousand suns with the weapons of gods in her eighteen hands haloing her roopa. In this Panchaloha bronze icon of eighteen-armed goddess Durga, she is sculpted in a stunning standing posture, on an upturned lotus pedestal embellished with the buffalo-head of Mahishasura, accompanied by her Simha (lion) placed on an independent platform behind the Devi.
This iconography of Durga Amman draws from the Patteeshwaram Durgai Amman statue from her temple in Tamil Nadu, in which the goddess victoriously stands on the head of the vanquished Mahishasura, a stimulating visualization of the eternally victorious Shakti. In this roopa, the Adi-Shakti (primordial energy) is called Durga Amman or simply Amman (mother) in Southern India.
Her ethereal multiple arm forms are a reminder of her fierceness and omnipresence as a mother which protects her children from all the seen and unseen enemies. The goddess in this bronze Durga icon is beautified by a royal Kiritamukuta (Vaishnavite crown), gold dehri (disc-shaped earrings), three exquisite gold necklaces, Kucchabandha (breast band), Yajnopavita (sacred thread), armlets and bracelets in all her hands.
In each of her eighteen hands, Durga Amman carries a unique attribute related to creation or destruction, presented to her by a Deva (god), holding the potency of that god within itself. A simple dhoti (lower body garment) is worn by the great goddess, who smiles enchantingly.
Emanating the glistening glory of Mahadevi (great goddess), this bronze Durga Maa is a potent warning to the forces of evil and a heavenly presence in the home of her devotee.
Eternal Brilliance Unveiled: The Mystique of Panchaloha Bronze and Artful Maintenance Rituals
Bronze is a metal alloy that has the primary composition of Copper and Tin. There is also an addition of other metals such as Manganese, Aluminium, Nickel, and some non-metals such as Phosphorus. This composition of several metals and non-metals makes Bronze an extremely durable and strong metal alloy. It is for this reason that Bronze is extensively used for casting sculptures and statues. Since Bronze has a low melting point, it usually tends to fill in the finest details of a mould and when it cools down, it shrinks a little that makes it easier to separate from the mould.
" If you happen to have a bronze statue, simply use a cotton cloth with some coconut oil or any other natural oil to clean the statue. "
A village named Swamimalai in South India is especially known for exceptionally well-crafted Bronze icons of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The skilled artisans of this place use Panchaloha Bronze for casting the icons. Panchaloha Bronze is made of five metals; Copper, Zinc, Lead, and small quantities of Gold and Silver. Zinc gives a golden hue to the finished figure and Lead makes the alloy softer for the easy application of a chisel and hammer. The common technique for producing these statues and sculptures is the “Lost-wax” method. Because of the high durability of bronze sculptures and statues, less maintenance is required, and can still last up to many decades.
Exotic India takes great pride in its collection of hand-picked Panchaloha Statues. You will find the murtis of Gods (Krishna, Hanuman, Narasimha, Ganesha, Nataraja, and Kartikeya) and Goddesses (Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, and Parvati), and Buddha statues. You can also buy Ritual paraphernalia (Wicks lamp, Puja Kalash, Cymbals, and Puja Flag) on the website. All these statues and items have been made with a lot of care and attention, giving them a flawless finish. Their fine carving detail represents the rich tradition of India.
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