HIndu Blog Posts, About Hindu Gods, goddesses

Legends of Hindu God Hanuman

‘Bow down to Hanumān, who is the slayer of demons, and who is present with head bowed and eyes full of flowing tears wherever the fame of Rāma is sung.’

Hanuman is a renowned Hindu deity and eager follower of Rama, the seventh incarnation of Vishnu, according to Hindu myth. Some Hindu texts also liken him as an incarnation of Shiva. Depicted as an ape-like human, his facial features are characteristically monkey in form. He is said to have been born to humanoid creatures known as vanaras, monkey-like human forms known for their brave and intellectual prowess. His mother, Anjana, was born to earth as a female vanara due to a curse that could only be redeemed with the birth of a son. His father Kesari joined his wife Anjana in prayer to Shiva for a child of their own. Pleased with their endless devotion Shiva granted them a son, which was considered a reflection of Shiva himself.

Legend has it that Indra, King of Gods, struck Hanumans jaw during his youth, which left Hanuman disfigured with a protruding jawline. Indra, God of Fire, had heard of Hanuman trying to take the Sun for himself mistaking it for a mango, interfering with the Vedic planet Rahu who was seeking the sun to turn its eclipse. As punishment, Indra struck Hanuman with his lightning bolt, throwing him back to earth in an unconscious state. Vaju, Hanumans main father figure and God of Air, went into seclusion out of despair, taking with him the world’s air. The Devas revived Hanuman out of devotion for Vaju allowing human beings to no longer suffocate from Vajus retreat and bestowed sacred gifts upon Hanuman. Brahma, a prominent Deva, gave Hanuman the ability to cheat death at the hand of any weapon of war, the ability to bestow fear in enemies, extinguish fear in friends, change his form at will, and travel on a whim. From Shiva he received longevity and insurmountable wisdom. Indra blessed him with immunity from his lightning bolt and from Angi immunity from fire.

Hanuman received many sacred gifts from the most prominent Deities becoming a powerful deity from childhood. He is known to be a profound scholar knowing all the Vedas and Scriptures by heart with flawless speech and written articulation.

Click here for more info on Hanuman or Shiva.

Indra: Hindu God of War, Heavens, & Thunderstorms

‘He under whose supreme control are horses, all chariots, the villages, and cattle;
He who gave being to the Sun and Morning, who leads the waters, He, O men, is Indra.’
Rigveda

God of War, Indra Hindu god — Indra Hindu God of War

Originally, Indra was one of the most prominent deities within the Rigveda as the leader of the Gods and Lord of Heaven according to Hindu myth. He was the God of war, storms, thunder, and the ultimate warrior carrying his famous lightning bolt, Vajra, as weapon protecting Dharma alongside Vajrapani, the Chief Defender. Indra, Agni’s twin, was said to be the strongest of all beings defending all the Hindu Gods and humans alike from danger. Indra was described as being very powerful with either two or four very long arms wielding his bolt or at times bow or hook. His parents were the sky god Dyaus Pita and the earth goddess Prthivi. It is even said he was born fully grown and fully armed from his mother’s side ready to defend the world.

His most notable achievement was fighting the asura Vrita who in form of a mighty dragon stole all the water from the earth. When Indra was born he heard of the offenses of Vrita and fought to reclaim the precious water he had stolen form the world. He rode forth to seek him out, smashed through all 99 of Vritra’s fortresses, and battled Vrita as dragon and destroyed him. Water began flowing from his fallen adversary after battle which restored the earth from its perpetual drought. Replenishing the land of its most necessary nutrient, Indra became a hero not only to the people, but to the Gods alike. In show of allegiance the gods elected him as their king.

Although a notable deity within the Rigveda, over time Indras importance as a prominent deity began to diminish in favor of Vishnu and Shiva. More recent accounts of his famous battle even include his rescuing by Vishnu and Shiva in order to defeat the dragon. He was eventually demoted to that of simply god of weather and of the lesser gods.

Click for more information on Vishnu and Shiva from Lotus Sculpture

New Brass Statues of Hindu Gods

Brass Statue of Hindu God Ganesh — Click here to view all our brass statues of Hindu Gods including this seated Ganesh statue

Lotus Sculpture has received a new shipment from North India of brass statues of Hindu Gods. The brass statues are a completely new addition to Lotus Sculpture’s offerings. The Hindu brass statues are made in Delhi, India. Brass sculptures are less expensive than the bronze statues we carry making it possible for everyone to bring home a Hindu statue from Lotus Sculpture without spending hundreds of dollars.

Brass Hindu statues are typically much less expensive than bronze. This makes them very attractive to households looking for a Hindu deity for their home altar for daily puja. Brass statues take less time to make than their bronze counterparts as each design is copied from one master mold. It is possible to find multiple copies of each brass statue. Each statue Lotus Sculpture carries is hand selected by the founder of Lotus Sculpture, Kyle Tortora who regularly visits Asia to choose the statues for the store.

“I take great pride in personally selecting each statue Lotus Sculpture carries and am happy to now offer high quality, brass statues of Hindu gods further making Lotus Sculpture the destination to find the highest quality Hindu sculpture in the world.”
says Tortora

Over the years, the quality of brass statues has risen significantly. It is now possible to find quality brass statues in India which is the reason Lotus Sculpture is now carrying them. The quality will never reach the level of detail and power inherent in lost wax method bronze statues, however, the quality and price of the statues makes them the perfect statues for homes that want a quality Hindu god but cannot quite afford the highest quality bronze statues.

Bronze Hindu God Krishna statue — Click here to view all our Lost Wax Method Hindu Bronze Statues including this Krishna statue

Previously, Lotus Sculpture has exclusively carried one of a kind, lost wax method bronze statues. Bronzes are made in Tamil Nadu in the South of India. Bronze statues are one of a kind statues made by hand. The bronze making art has been passed on from generation to generation unchanged since the Chola dynasty in South India 1100AD. Lost wax bronze statues are used in Hindu temples throughout India and the world. Bronze statues are prized for their fine detail and their connection to the past. Bronze antiques are prized by collectors and are seen in museums around the world. The high quality bronzes take months and sometimes years to produce. Lost wax bronze statues are made from a combination of 5 metals with high amounts of copper which produces a high quality metal alloy; bronze. Only one statue is made at a time. Each step of the lengthy and complicated lost wax process is performed in rural villages using the same techniques passed down for centuries. Lotus Sculpture is pleased to play their part in keeping the lost wax tradition alive in India.

Lotus Sculpture’s addition of Hindu brass statues to our collection of lost wax bronze statues will further reinforce that there is only one place to find the highest quality Hindu sculpture in the world; Lotus Sculpture!

Agni: Hindu God of Fire

“Agni I laud, the high priest, god, minister of sacrifice, the invoker, lavishest of wealth.” Rigveda

Agni, Hindu God of Fire, is one of the most renowned Hindu deities within the Rigveda. Fire is a central component of all Vedic rituals. According to Vedic myth he is second in importance to only his twin brother Indra, Lord of the Heavens, and is distinguished as the supreme director of religious ceremonies serving as a middleman delivering Gods word to man. Agni is said to be a divine model for all priests, mediating between the Gods and humans. Priests should aspire to mirror his image in practice and devotion as he projects a patient and dignified reflection. No Vedic sacrificial ritual is complete without his presence. Angi is often depicted as having either two or seven hands, two heads, three legs, and seven fiery tongues as he rides atop a ram or fiery chariot.

As oldest son of Brahma, Agni joins with Indra and Surya, the Lord of the Skies, in the first Hindu holy trinity. He is said to embody ten forms, the first five of which are physical forms, and the last five ritual forms: ordinary fire, lightening, the sun, digestive fire, destructive fire, fire lit by sticks for ceremony, fire for home worship, fire given to initiate students, funeral fire, and fire of the ancestors. Although mostly seen as religious teacher, Agni is also sometimes feared for his destructive capacities. He is priest of Hindu Gods and God of priests. Among certain Vedic hymns, Agni can even be portrayed as that as a Supreme God:

‘Commingling, restless, he ascends the sky, unveiling nights and all that stands or moves, as he the sole God is preeminent in greatness among all these other Gods.’

Agni is one of the only Vedic deities to be so highly regarded still into present day. All life’s journeys are presided over by Agni and end with Agni as funeral fire marks our eventual end.

Shiva as Nataraja holds the Hindu God Agni in his left hand

Agni is rarely depicted in sculpture as a stand alone figure. However, he is included in one of the most recognizable poses in all of Hinduism; Shiva as the Lord of Dance Nataraja. Shiva holds the a burning flame in the palm of his left hand. The flame represents the Hindu god Agni.

Shiva as Ardhanari: ‘Lord Who is Half Woman’

red marble shiva as ardhanari statue — Click here to view our Shiva as Ardhanari statues

Shiva as Ardhanari, or Ardhanarishvara, translates to ‘Lord who is half woman.’ Ardhanarishvara is the androgynous combination of Shiva and his consort Parvati, split down the middle as half man half woman. Shiva, usually depicted on the right, is often adorned with headdress of a half crescent moon, serpent earring, third eye upon the center of his forehead, and wears a sacred thread across his chest. Parvati down the left is commonly portrayed with basket shaped crown, kundala earing, red dot matching Shiva’s third eye, and multi-colored or white linen dress. Visually, Shiva and Parvati embody their corresponding gender vigorously so as to starkly contrast their opposing counterpart.

Ardhanarishvara is said to characterize the fusion of the masculine and feminine energies of the world and exemplifies how Shakti, the female principle of God, is inseparable from Shiva, the male principle of God. The merger between these masculine and feminine energies is regarded as the root of all creation.

God is both Shiva and Parvati, “both male and female, both father and mother, both aloof and active, both fearsome and gentle, both destructive and constructive” and unifies all other oppositions of the universe.

It is believed that Parvati is not just Shiva’s consort, but an actual part of him.

Ardhanari is one of the most popularly worshiped forms of Shiva and can be found in virtually every temple or shrine throughout India and south-east Asia. It is often regarded that the ultimate goal of a devotee is to be united with Shiva as Parvati is in the Ardhanarishvara form.

Click to read more about Shiva or Parvati.

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