11" Vaishnava Conch Wick Lamp (Hoysala Art) | Handmade | Made In South India

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The lighting of the lamp defines spiritual knowledge, brandishing away the evil of darkness and bestowing the devotee with righteous thought and action. The splendour of the Hoysala Dynasty’s bronze work by the ‘sthapati’ is wonderfully on view here with this highly ornate lamp detailed with the stylised ‘shankh’ or conch of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Not only is the conch part of the four major attributes generally associated with Vishnu (the other three being the ‘sudarshana chakra’ or war discus, the mace or ‘kaumodaki,’ and the lotus flower), in Vaishnavite tradition the ‘shankha’ has had several mythical stories associated with it. For instance, Vishnu is said to have defeated the demon Panchajanya and taken away its abode (also called Panchajanya), which was a ‘shankha,’ and thus come to acquire his attribute. In another instance, the Harivamsha Purana dictates that Krishna fought Shankhasura and rescued the son of sage Sandipani from the shackles of Shankhasura’s home, the conch, thereby winning it in the process. The legend elaborates further that whenever Krishna blows the ‘shankha,’ it foreshadows the death of his next opponent. It is in recognition of this tale that we can appreciate the fact that the Mahabharata only began after the the Panchajanya was blown by Krishna.  

This lamp therefore is no small creation – even in the singular depiction of the ‘shankha,’ we witness the genius of the artist who embodied such revered and powerful traditions of the Vaishnavite sect. 

Making Process of Hoysala Bronze

Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Due to its durability, corrosion resistance, and versatility, bronze is the most preferred metal for artisans to create sculptures. Other qualities that make it the ideal choice for creating statues is its ability to be cast easily. Aside from that, this metal allows the most intricate details to be captured by the artist.
The art of making bronze statues has been practiced in India for centuries, and evidence of it can be found in magnificent Hoysala bronze ornaments and bronze statues in South India. Of the many bronze idols produced in the country, Hoysala art statues are very famous. The hoysala style includes a depiction of embellishments and ornaments and an abundance of jewelry while making statues. It grew from the 10th to 14th centuries in the Hoysala dynasty that ruled the region, falling in present day Karnataka, hence the name of this craft. It involves intricate work, deep carving, and undercutting by artisans to create elaborate and decorative motifs.
Much time and effort goes into bringing these timeless pieces to life. It takes months to finish a single sculpture, and they are always created by casting. The most common casting type for bronze idols is the lost-wax casting technique. This is a 4000-year-old art form and requires a lot of concentration, patience, and finesse.

The first step of making bronze statues is making a model of the sculpture in clay. The artist creates an exact clay version of what he envisions to be made in bronze. He captures every little detail.

The second step involves making a mold of plasticine or silicon rubber around the clay statue. Once the mold hardens, it is separated from the clay sculpture.

After that, molten wax is poured into the mold so that a thick layer of coating is created inside the mold. This is done so that every detail of the sculpture is captured.

Once the wax hardens, the plasticine or silicon mold is removed, and a ceramic shell is created around the wax structure by dipping it in liquid slurry and silica sand.

This ceramic shell is heated upon solidification, and the wax is melted out. After that, molten bronze is poured into the mold through tubes.

Once the liquid bronze has hardened and taken the shape of the mold, the ceramic shell is removed, and the final product is checked for any imperfections.

The final step involves the application of patina onto the sculpture. This prevents corrosion and adds color to the statue. A final coat of wax is applied to preserve this and add luster.

The Power of Light: Understanding the Role of Oil Lamps in

Hinduism Hinduism is a boon to human society for it guides everyone to follow their Dharma and rise above the material concept of life. Hinduism is also known as “Sanatan Dharma”. These are Sanskrit terms in which Sanatan means “eternal” and Dharma means “Intrinsic nature or occupation”. Thus it deals with the intrinsic nature or the real identity of the living entities; that which can never be taken away from them. The principles of Hinduism are given in the Vedic literature or scriptures that are considered “Apaurusheya”; they have not been written by any ordinary person but have been compiled by Vyasadev, the literary incarnation of the Supreme Lord Krishna. The word “Veda” means complete knowledge, both material and spiritual. The knowledge in Vedic literature is so vast and precise that if one looks carefully, he will notice that nothing is sentimental or imaginary but is based on facts and truth. There is a clear description and information about the identity of all living beings, the nature of the Absolute Truth, the reason for the existence of this world, the information about the world beyond this universe, and the relationship between us and God, the Absolute Truth.

Why do we light a lamp?

There are many rituals recommended in the Vedas for engaging our body and mind in the service of God. One of them is the lighting of ghee or oil lamps before the deity. According to the Vedic injunctions, all auspicious functions begin with lighting a lamp. It has a great spiritual significance. It is believed that the light of the lamp symbolizes “knowledge”, the wick symbolizes the false ego of the living entity, and ghee (clarified butter) or oil symbolizes all the negative tendencies (Anarthas) accumulated in the heart such as greed, lust, anger, and envy. When the lamp is lit by spiritual knowledge, all the Anarthas are exhausted, and the false ego, which is the root cause of conditional life, is also burnt. Therefore, the lamp is lit before the Lord as a sacrifice of our false ego in His service. Just as the light of the lamp dissipates all darkness, similarly, the light of knowledge dissipates ignorance of the Jivas and enables us to realize our real identity and purpose of life.

Why only an oil or ghee lamp?

One may question why only an oil lamp is lit before the Lord and why not an artificial light source. This may sound logical but lighting a lamp has a further spiritual significance. The flame of the light in a lamp always burns upwards indicating that by cultivating spiritual knowledge, one achieves the highest perfection of life and is always victorious. Also, a traditional lamp is the purest form of offering.

In almost every house of a follower of Sanatan Dharma, an oil or ghee lamp is lit before the altar of the Lord or before the Tulsi plant. Some people light it at dawn, some at dusk, and some people prefer to light it at dawn and dusk. Either ghee or sesame oil can be used to burn the wick. Vaishnavas (devotees of Lord Vishnu or Krishna) especially light a ghee lamp every day in the month of Kartik to offer their love and devotion to the Lord.