Description
A one-of-a-kind iconography of the Devi Sarasvati. Wife of Lord Brahma and the presiding deity over aesthetics (learning, the fine arts), She is regarded to be the fairest of the Hindu devi pantheon. Usually depicted as a glacial-skinned Devi, in ivory-coloured clothing and on the back of a pristine swan to accentuate the complexion, the murti that you see on this page deviates from the norm. Fashioned from brass, this composition is a predominantly charcoal-coloured one, in strategic places superimposed with solid gold colour.For example, the body of the Devi’s veena (this classical musical instrument is as much a part of Devi Sarasvati as any of Her limbs), the silk of the dhoti draped around Her slender legs and the adornments on the rest of Her gracious curves, and the stunningly executed plumage of the peacock (Her vahana or divine mount), are all a gorgeous golden hue. From the peacock to its mistress, who sits in lalitasana upon its back, a great deal of detail has been introduced in each aspect of the iconography.The chaturbhujadharini (the one possessed of four arms) sits in lalitasana on a flat seating panel on the back of Her vahana. A gaze of profound wisdom pours forth from beneath Her beauteous brow. Almost half the height of the murti comprises the layered plinth - an upturned lotus on a quadrilateral in consistent colour scheme.
