Kavadi Statue with Lord Murugan Painted Wood Thaipusam Hindu Devotional Offering 24"

Murugan or Skanda is regarded as the supreme commander of the Gods and the destroyer of evil forces.  He is also regarded as the epitome of knowledge.  He is revered as an infant, as a child - (Balasubramanian), as a handsome and romantic prince (Valli Manavaalan - Azhagan Murugan), as an invincible warrior - ruler, and also as a mature renunciate. Murugan is also known as Kartikeya, Kumara, Skanda, Subramanya, Shanmukha or  Murugan.   As Kartikeya he is designated the deity of war, guarding right and destroying evil.  As Subramanya, he has two consorts, Valli and Devasena, who embody Jnana Shakti, the power of knowledge and Kriya Shakti, the power of action. As Shanmukha, the six-headed, he teaches that we have five senses and the mind, and only when all six are in harmony is there spiritual growth.

Murugan is regarded as the son of Shiva and Parvati and hence the brother of Ganesha.  There is a shrine to Murugan in all Saivite temples in Tamil Nadu, and likewise there are shrines to Shiva and Parvati in all temples dedicated to Skanda.

Valli, the daughter of a tribal ruler and Devani the daughter of Indra the King of Devas are the consorts of Skanda.  Murugan is also revered as the nephew of Vishnu and is referred to as Maal Marugan.

Murugan's vahana or vehicle is the peacock who struts around admiring his own beauty.  Murugan places himself on top of the peacock suppressing it, reminding us not to let pride and egotism get the better of us.  In battle Murugan's weapon is a bow and arrow.  He is often shown carrying a flag and vel or spear.  The vel is a symbol of Lord Murugan.  He uses the vel to guard the spiritual progress of the world.

The Story of the Birth of the Celestial Warlord:  Parvati gave Shiva's aura to the gods.  "From this will rise the warlord you seek," said the goddess.
The gods gave Shiva's aura to Svaha, consort of Agni, the fire god.  Unable to bear the heat of the aura and the god Agni for long, Svaha gave the aura to Ganga the river goddess who cooled it in her icy waters until Shiva's aura turned into a seed.
Aranyani, the goddess of the forest, embedded the divine seed in the fertile forest floor where it was transformed into a robust child with six heads and twelve arms.
Six forest nymphs called the Krittikas found this magnificent child in a lotus.  Over come by maternal affection they began nursing him.  The six headed son of Shiva, born of many mothers, came to be known as Kartikeya.
Parvati taught Kartikeya the art of war and turned him into the celestial warlord called Skanda.
Skanda took command of the celestial armies, defeated Taraka in battle and restored the heavens to the gods.

Wood statues are easy to take care of as they just need some annual upkeep to keep them looking as they did when they were first carved. All the wood used by Lotus Sculpure's artists is dried out for months. Moisture causes cracks in the sculpture as the wood contracts and expands in different temperatures. Our wood has little to no moisture in it assuring that the sculpture is not going to crack in its journey into different climates. Here are some simple tips to keep your statue in good condition:

• Dust the statue as needed to prevent dirt build up
• To make the statue shine use a natural wood cleaner and a cotton cloth to buff the sculpture

We prefer Old English to polish and buff our statues. The use of a wood polish like Old English will keep the wood looking fresh and keep the colors looking vibrant. For natural wood and painted wooden statues we recommend Old English for lighter woods. For darker wood statues we recommend Old English for darker woods. Lotus Sculpture cleans and polishes each wooden statue prior to shipping them to the customer.

We recommend keeping wooden statues in an indoor environment. Wood statues can go outside however, they will wear more quickly and develop an antique appearance. If you would like to put a wood statue from Lotus Sculpture outside and keep the same appearance of the sculpture we would recommend first coating the statue with a couple of layers of sealant or polyurethane. We would then recommend placing the statue in a partially covered area. The more exposure to the elements the more the statue will wear over time. Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions regarding your wooden statue from Lotus Sculpture, (760) 994-4455 or [email protected].

USA Shipping

This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping. The shipping charge is automatically calculated by UPS for shipping within the United States. Each sculpture is usually shipped within 24 hours of the order with the exception of the weekend.
You can obtain a shipping quote for any statue by clicking the link, Calculate Shipping beneath to the Add To Cart button on every statues' page.  Besides the shipping price, the results will also display the date the statue will arrive at your home. Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.

International Shipping

This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping to anywhere in the world. ​International shipping charges will be calculated automatically upon checkout. ​
You can obtain a shipping quote for any statue by clicking the link, Calculate Shipping beneath to the Add To Cart button on every statues' page.  Or you can email [email protected] or call us 760-994-4455 to receive a shipping quote. Please include the item number of the statue you are interested in purchasing as well as your country and postal code.​ Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.