The Small Kalinga Krishna from Swamimalai is a captivating sculpture that embodies both artistic mastery and spiritual significance.
This piece features Lord Krishna in a playful yet powerful stance, subduing the serpent Kaliya, a tale that symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.
Crafted using the traditional lost-wax technique, the intricate details of Krishna’s form and expressions, reflect the skill of artisans from Swamimalai, a renowned center for bronze sculpture in India.
The use of Panchaloha, a five-metal alloy composed of gold, silver, copper, brass, and iron, enhances the durability and aesthetic appeal of the statue while adding to its spiritual resonance.
This small yet delicately fine statue of Krishna subduing the great serpent Kaliya symbolises the playful, mischievous, as well as powerfully divine qualities of our ‘makhan chor.’ Executed in the ‘madhuchista vidhana’ fashion or the lost wax technique, this bronze image portrays Krishna dancing atop the large hood of Kalinga, with its tail in one hand and the other hand raised in the fear dispelling ‘abhaya mudra’ gesture. Kalinga’s body is itself placed on a raised lotus pedestal, and Krishna is shown wearing a high ‘mukuta’ and ornaments over his body.
It was upon the action of Kaliya, who had taken refuge in the waters of Yamuna near Vrindavan to escape Garuda, contaminating the water and scaring the nearby villagers, that Krishna sought to take matters into his own hands. When Kalinga interfered with Radha, Krishna jumped inside the water to wrestle with the great snake, stomping his weight on Kaliya’s hood which let go of all the toxic venom that the serpent had stored inside. Against the warnings of the villagers, Krishna started dancing on Kaliya, slowly decimating its life – and only stopped when his several wives begged to let him go.
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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