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Creating a Simple Lord Krishna Puja to Celebrate Janmashtami

The significance of Lord Krishna is that he used his life to explain the great teachings in Upanishads. He taught us to remain neutral, live in the moment and celebrate every day of life.

krishna and Ganesh statue — Krishna Statue for Janmashtami Puja

Keeping in mind that Lord Krishna taught us to rise above rituals and take action; the best offering is to perform one’s duty by realizing the Braham within. Janmashtami is a day to reflect, calm the mind and feel a connection with Shri Krishna. Above all, the greatest puja is to read the Bhagavad Gita, sit in silence and contemplate.

Puja suggestions dedicated to Lord Krishna:Place a Krishna statue and Ganesha statue in a clean, quiet space
Have a lamp and prepare a plate with flowers, fruits and sweets
Meditate and pray to Lord Ganesha
Light the lamp
Meditate and pray to Lord Krishna
Offer flowers, specifically tulsi leaves and light incense
Chant the mantra – “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”
Offer the fruits and sprinkle water on the Lord Krishna sculpture and Lord Ganesha sculpture
When completed, remove the fruits and offer as Prasad with others

The significance of Lord Krishna is that he used his life to explain the great teachings in Upanishads. He taught us to remain neutral, live in the moment and celebrate every day of life. However you chose to worship, Lord Krishna is happy with any offerings to him in true devotion. View a video of Lord Krishna puja.

Janmashtami: Celebrating the Birth of Lord Krishna

“Don’t judge me by what I am doing. Among the armed, I am like ram: I am like a crocodile among fishes, the Ganga among rivers. Dear Arjun, I am the beginning, the end, and even the middle of existence.”
Lord Krishna

Hindu devotees throughout the world will be celebrating Janmashtami or Gokolashtami as it is known in North India on August 10th, 2012. The festival, also known as Krishna Jayanti, commemorates the birth of Hindu God Lord Krishna with enormous joy and long-standing traditions. This holiday is generally celebrated over a period of two days, or after midnight when the Lord Krishna is said to have been born.

Many rituals mark this event, including fasting, bhajans or songs of praise with traditional dances, and pujas or intense worship. A Lord Krishna statue or idol plays an important role in the pooja process. The day starts with a Gopal Krishna statue receiving a bath of gangajal (holy water of Ganga), ghee (liquid butter), honey and curd. The statue is adorned with precious jewelry and new clothes, preferably in the color yellow. A blessing and offering of bhog or food is given to the statue and followed by praise of Gopal. Throughout the day, the festival is observed with much happiness and devotion to the Lord Krishna.

Janmashtami is also a time of gifting to your friends and relatives to show respect and care for your elders. Lotus Sculpture carries the finest polished bronze and three metal Gopal Krishna statues. Each of them are one-of-a-kind, hand-made masterpieces made from the lost wax method from artists in South India.

Above all, it is a time to rejoice in the glory and share the teachings of Krishna.

Zen Garden Buddha Statues: Bringing Serenity & Beauty to Your Outdoor Space

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”
~Chinese Proverb~

With summer in full swing, it is a pleasant time to enjoy nature and relax in your garden. A way to enhance and bring tranquility to any environment is to place a Buddha statue, particularly a portrayal of Buddha in a meditative state. The positive and peaceful energy of a Zen Buddha sculpture helps keep you in balance and harmony.

First, to accentuate your garden, and to create the best possible chi energy, the meditating Buddha should be seated on a pedestal off the ground. With the lotus throne, or padmasana, this position signifies gratitude and humility. Typically, the Buddha’s hands lies in his lap, one over the other, with thumb tips touching. This is known as dhyana mudra of meditation.

Another step is to plant with odd numbers in your garden to create balance and “yang”. Yang, which refers to the “sunny side”, is a masculine symbol and reflects the sun and day time. Since odd numbers are yang, they are considered auspicious, with a multiple of nine bringing the most positive energy.

Most of the large, stone garden Buddha statues at Lotus Sculpture are one-of-a-kind; created by artists in Bali. They are hand carved from lava stone, which is quarried from the volcanic mountains of Indonesia. The lava stone is a solid stone that is perfect for any type of location and weather conditions – hot or cold, wet or dry. The stone is versatile in that it can be colored in a wide spectrum of colors. It can also be polished or unpolished giving it a clean or rough feel. In humid conditions, when left untouched, it takes on a very mysterious, antique-look as you would see in the temple ruins of South East Asia.

Dancing Ganesh Statue at Calgary Zoo

Hindu God Ganesh Dancing Stone Statue — Dancing Ganesh in front of Calgary Zoo

In 2006, the Calgary Zoo, with the help of a private donor, commissioned Lotus Sculpture to custom make a nine-foot tall, 5-ton statue to be displayed in front of their new Elephant Crossing exhibit. The sculpture, which was modeled after the Hindu god Ganesh, was beautifully hand-carved with polished Indian black granite and took approximately one year to complete. The statue’s proportionate size, with the head of an elephant and bulbous trunk, uplifted arm, slight chest, potbelly, huge thighs, and chubby feet fit together with perfection. Much thought, and many fine details were carved into this work of art.

The zoo, with consideration of their guests, removed all of Ganesh’s religious symbols before it was erected. The statue was meant to show the link between elephants and Asian culture, not to represent a religious icon. Once installed, the ‘dancing elephant’ still brought about a ‘handful’ of complaints and unwanted controversy to the exhibit. A Canadian Christian group organized a campaign to protest the statue, citing “selective religious partiality and indoctrination”. Despite the few grievances, the zoo did not remove the sculpture. It still stands peacefully today (for now).

Unfortunately, it was recently announced that the Calgary Zoo will be closing the Elephant Crossing exhibit, where it holds one bull and three female endangered pachyderms. The climate is too cold for the small herd. The time-frame of their departure could take up to five years, as one female is pregnant and not due to give birth until February 2013. Likely, once born, they will not relocate the group to another zoo until the baby is at least four-years-old. The elephants will go away one day, but the $11-million, taxpayer-funded building will remain and house a new species. The zoo anticipates continuing the focus on an Asian theme, with animals that are better suited to the climate of Calgary. Hopefully, with keeping in line of the Asian theme and culture, the beautiful, carefree, and loving Ganesh statue will remain the gatekeeper of the exhibit and for all visitors to enjoy.
Click here to view the stone dancing Ganesh statue

Stone Hindu God Ganesh Statue — Dancing Ganesh Stone Statue

Easter Island Moai Head Sculpture in Encinitas, California

In April 2011, an Easter Island Head replica, or Moai, was carved out of an 11-foot Torrey pine stump in Encinitas’ Swami’s Park. This sculpture was declared a temporary public work of art, due to the nature of the carved material and environmental decay. Over a year later, the statue still stands proudly, showing only some signs of beetle infestation.
The sculpture at Swami’s is a beautiful and fitting representation of the original Polynesian monolithic statues carved from stone, mostly between the years 1250 and 1500 CE, on the Chilean Easter Island. The Moai were created by the indigenous Rapanui to honor their deified ancestors. They are commonly referred to as “tiki” or “Easter Island heads”, due to their disproportionate size, although they are whole-body statues. Moai are known for their large, broad noses, strong chins and rectangle-shaped ears. Normally, the statues are in a squat position, with arms resting.
The iconic sculptures have been theorized in the news recently. According to a report in the July issue of National Geographic, a study suggests that the massive stone heads were ‘walked’ with ropes by the natives, from the main quarry to stone platforms around the island’s perimeter. Much mystery and intrigue has surrounded Easter Island and the transportation of the original 33-foot tall, 80-ton structures. Rapanui lore says that the Moai, animated by mana, a spiritual force conveyed by powerful ancestors, were not transported; they walked.
Given the history the Rapanui endured, such as, famine, civil wars, slave raids and deforestation, the resilience of the Swami’s Easter Island head sculpture is appropriate. Attempts will be made to preserve the wood statue, but only time will tell, if and when, nature will get the best of it.

View Lotus Sculpture’s Large Moai Sculpture for Sale

Enormous Custom 14 foot Moai head statue	4 foot tall Black Marble Easter Island Moai Head
Large Pink Granite 7.5 foot tall Polished Moai Head	Custom Big 8 foot tall Easter Island Moai Statue

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