The tall, beauteous, and stately Goddess Lakshmi blesses the devotee with plenty. The wife of none other than the great Vishnu, She presides over wealth which is the necessary means to His function of preserving creation through destruction. She has been given the resplendent finish of pale gold, her saree draped in modern-day urban North Indian style. On Her head sits a skillfully carved crown, from underneath the fitted rim of which emerges a sea of gorgeous tresses spread about her shoulders. Note how superb the detailing of this cascade is at the back of the statue by zooming in on the length.
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| Haloed Standing Lakshmi Blesses Brass Statue |
Her heavenly shringar comprises necklaces, kamarband, bangles, danglers, and anklets covered by the hem of her saree. The necklace of coins reaches down to the pleats of the saree. It comprises 108 coins, for the 108 names of the deity that dons them. The unusual countenance of the deity - the large eyes, the classically handsome nose, the full lips, and the lifelike composure - and the flawless sculpture of the hands are the marks of a fine artisan.
While the lotuses in her posterior arms and the anterior palm opened outward in blessing are typical of Lakshmi Statue iconography, what sets this portrayal apart is the Amrit Kalash that she supports at the waist. Myth has it that she was born of the nectar of immortality produced during the all-important Samudra Manthan episode of the Bhagavata Purana. From the hand that blesses emerges a steady stream of coins that gathers in the ornate, spacious Patra at her feet. To see the Patra so full, all heaped up, almost overflowing with wealth is enough to inspire the onlooker with devotion to her. She stands on a freshly bloomed lotus, the layered petals of which are as tender as her feet.
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