Hindu God Statues, God & Goddess Statues of Hindu Deities: Kaalita

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About Hindu Deities

To many, Hinduism seems to be a confusing mix of the bizarre and exotic. It's blue skinned, many-armed deities, lit by flickering lamps deep within ancient temples seem dark and mysterious, but Hindu theology fills with light and clarity once its secrets are revealed.

At its heart, Hinduism is the belief in an eternal divine power, known as Brahman. While humankind, mountains, oceans and even whole planets change over time, only Brahman's power remains unchanged and therefore Real. Hindus believe there is a small spark of the divine in us all and the aim of the devotee is to connect this spark or soul with Brahman, the Ultimate Soul. If successful, they achieve enlightenment and cease the endless cycle of rebirth and death known as reincarnation.

To achieve this connection a believer is guided by the ancient texts which had defined Hindu theology by about 5000 BC. Further writings refined the framework but by about 3000 BC Hindu belief is very much as it remains today. To enable the devotee to connect with the unknowable and indefinable, lesser gods and goddesses have been created, each representing some specific aspect of Brahman. For example, Creation, Destruction and Preservation of The Universe is the responsibility of three major gods, respectively; Brahma (not to be confused with Brahman), Shiva, and Vishnu. These gods are further represented by ever more specific aspects. When the gods are required to intervene in our transitory world to guide, terrify or inspire, a body is created; a body with specific physical characteristics and symbols, and it is these bodies which make up the Hindu pantheon. Where things get complicated is when a non-Hindu is confronted with a vast multitude of deities, demigods and other celestial beings without understanding that any one of these beings simply represents some smaller aspect or facet of Brahman, the Ultimate Soul and Reality.

As you browse our collection, you'll see Hindu god statues with unusual features such as multiple limbs, heads or faces; or, in some cases, the bodies or heads of animals. Chola Bronzes were never meant to be literal representations but symbolic of each figure and their characteristics. In the mind of the artist trying to capture the essence of an all powerful god, sometimes one head and two arms just aren’t enough.

Shiva

	Shiva the Destroyer is also Shiva the Creator. One of the foundations of Hindu belief is duality and Shiva, a character of contradictions, is no exception. As he destroys he creates something new which will arise from the ashes; therefore he is both Destroyer and Creator. He's the ultimate ascetic but in the true spirit of duality he is also Lord of Tantra, where sexual union is the path to spiritual enlightenment. Hindus do not interpret Shiva's behaviors as contradictory but see him as a deity who wisely integrates the extremes of human nature, transcending rigid attachment to fixed ideology. According to myth Shiva lives atop sacred Mount Kailash in the remote Tibetan Himalayas. There he spends his time practicing yogic austerities, making love with his divine wife, Parvati and smoking the sacred ganja. His holy Vahana (Sanskrit for transport) is Nandi, a white bull and symbol of happiness, strength and Mother Earth (therefore every bull and cow in India is considered sacred). He is associated with; the third eye, indicating divine omniscience; a trident, symbolic of the aspects of Brahman - Creator, Destroyer and Preserver; snakes, which represent his power over death; and a crescent moon, as it waxes and wanes, a symbol of time and death. He is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation at his home where he is seated upon, or wearing, a tiger skin representing the mind.

Parvati	Parvati's name in Sanskrit means: ' She of the Mountains'. She is the daughter of the mortal Himavat, King of the Himalayas and Mena, a celestial dancing spirit of the clouds. Parvati is the physical and spiritual Hindu feminine ideal. She is eternally the beautiful, self-sacrificing young woman who, through the force of her will, brought Shiva out of his mystic world and into the worldly human realm; but in true Hindu duality, she also the multi armed, black skinned slayer of demon kings. In this terrifying aspect she is known as Durga or Kali. Though immensely powerful in her own right, Parvati's central role is as the embodiment of Shiva's creative power or shakti. In this role she calms his destructive extremes thereby maintaining cosmic order or dharma in the universe. In the Chola tradition, Parvati after marriage is known as Shivagami - wife of Shiva; as a mother - Boga Shakti.

Krishna	Hindus consider Krishna their leader, hero, protector, philosopher, teacher and friend, all rolled into one. Of all the Vishnu avatars he is the most popular, and perhaps of all Hindu gods the one closest to the heart of the people. Krishna has influenced the Indian thought, life and culture in myriad ways, influencing not only its religion and philosophy, but also into its mysticism, literature, painting, sculpture, dance and music. Scholars accept the period between 3200 and 3100 BC as the period in which Krishna lived on earth. Krishna is the eighth incarnation of the god Vishnu and the embodiment of love and divine joy. He is eternally a beautiful youth with an enchanting smile and glowing complexion the colour of new clouds. Bewitching all who hear or see him, Krishna plays a flute, wears a peacock feather in his curly black hair and a flower garland around his neck. His beautiful garments are the color of lightning. Ornaments caress Krishna's body but his transcendental body is so beautiful that it beautifies the ornaments he wears. Therefore Krishna's body is said to be the ornament of ornaments.


Lakshmi	Lakshmi, being the goddess of wealth and prosperity both material and spiritual, is worshipped during the festival of Diwali - the festival of lights. According to tradition, people would put small candles outside their homes on Diwali and hope Lakshmi will come to bless them. On a specific full moon day Lakshmi puja or worship is performed. Lakshmi is generally depicted with four hands representing the goals of human life: dharma or righteousness, kama or desires, artha or wealth, and moksha or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Her images often show cascades of gold coins flowing from her hands suggesting that those who worship her gain wealth.


Ganesha	While bathing Parvati set her son Ganesh, the task of guarding the entrance to her bath. When Shiva, her husband returned from seven years of meditation, he was enraged to find a stranger denying him access and struck off the boy's head. Parvati broke down in grief and to soothe her Shiva sent his soldiers to fetch the head of any new born. The company found a new elephant calf and brought back its severed head, which Shiva attached to the boy's body. Once he had restored his son's life, Shiva bestowed on Ganesha a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture.


Kartikeya	Born of a magical spark created by Shiva and nursed by six mothers of the constellation Pleiades, Kartikeya is the leader of Shiva's army. He is born to kill demons and is an intelligent and courageous leader.


Hanuman	Hanuman embodies wisdom, righteousness, virtue, strength, courage and humility. He is especially revered for his intense devotion to deities Rama and Sita. In the epic tales of the Ramayan, Hanuman and his army are instrumental in rescuing Rama's consort Sita from the clutches of King Ravana.


Narasimha	Vishnu's incarnation as Narasimha revolves around the evil king, Hiranyakashipu. The wicked ruler received a boon whereby he could be killed neither by man nor beast, nor on heaven or earth, nor by day or night and not through the use of any known weapon. To destroy the king while respecting the conditions of the boon, Vishnu took a form that was neither man nor beast, raised Hiranyakashipu into the air and at the moment of dusk, tore him apart with his lion claws.