Shri Padmanabha Swamy-Vishnu Panchaloha Bronze from Swamimalai

Nestled within the coils of Sheshanaga, the great Bhagwan Vishnu dreams drishyam into being. The gentle, multi-headed Brahma emerges upon a lotus stem from His navel, while His wives, Bhoodevi and Shreedevi, sit tenderly at His feet. The Padmanabha Swamy-Vishnu sculpture that you see on this page is a visual narrative of the beginning of the world according to Indian mythology. The pale metallic color of panchaloha adds to the surreal quality of this Vishnu sculpture. Overtones of a coppery blue color bring out its resplendence. Panchaloha is a blend of five (pancha) different iron-based (loha) alloys, a kind of bronze that takes a lot of skill and a special metal casting technique (madhuchista vidhana, traditional lost wax) to work with. Note the wealth of detail introduced into each aspect of this larger-than-life Vishnu murti. Sheshanagas ample coils are as lifelike as they get. So is the stance and musculature of the tall, handsome supine Vishnu statue. Finally, the Lakshmi figures have been carved with consistent attention to detail.