GODDESS LAKSHMI FROM KASHMIR IN BRITISH MUSEUM ,LONDON.

                                         

GODDESS LAKSHMI FROM KASHMIR IN BRITISH MUSEUM ,LONDON.

This stone (grey chlorite ) sculpture possibly done in 7th century is on display in British Museum . The goddess is shown in (1) Pralambapadasana pose seated on a lion throne . The goddess is crowned with a diadem made up of three crescent moons. Done during the rule of Karkota Kings , the sculpture bears Mathura and Gandhara influence. The deity has two male attendants . In Kashmir, a large number of deity sculptures either done in stone or metal depict attendants who look towards the deity . The sculpture was acquired in 2016 by the museum. 

The Karkota rulers were worshippers of Shiva, Vishnu and Buddha. In fact one of the reasons for decline of Buddhism in India could be attributed to the fact that Hindus treated Buddha as a deity by worshipping him as a Swaroopa of Vishnu .In Indian Vaishnava tradition also , Gautama Buddha, is considered as the ninth Avatar among the ten major Avatars of the Vishnu. The Karkota rulers of Kashmir also gave similar deity status to Buddha .

 The Karkota Kings also worshipped every deity's Parivaara. Accordingly one finds many sculptures done during Karkota rule that show Shiva Parivara and Vishnu with Lakshmi. 

Images of Lakshmi started appearing around the third century BC in sculptures found in Kausambi, in north India, and on coins issued during the reign of the Gupta dynasty around the fourth century AD. She became a favourite of kings as more and more people believed she was the bestower of power, wealth and sovereignty.

In the Buddhist Jatakas, there are tales of men and women who request the goddess Lakshmi to drive away the goddess of misfortune, Kalakanni. Images of Kubera, the pot-bellied yaksha-king and treasurer of the gods, who is closely associated with Lakshmi, adorn many Buddhist shrines.

Like the Greeks had Persephone, the corn-goddess, who was known to Romans as Demeter. The Egyptians had Isis, Sumerians had Inanna, Babylonians had Ishtar, Persians had Anahita and Vikings (ancient warrior tribe who were natives of Scandinavia from basically three countries- Denmark, Norway and Sweden) had Freyja, Lakshmi is the Hindu form of the timeless and universal mother-goddess who nurtures and nourishes all life. 

( Avtar Mota )

PS

(1)

Pralambapadasana... (Prasanna) is a posture mentioned in Hindu scriptures. In Shilpshastra , it is mentioned that the deity should look seated on a chair, both legs hanging down and the feet resting on the ground. This position should indicate that the deity is deep in contemplation.

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