8 Armed Marble Venugopal Statue 23"

This statue depicts the synthesis of both Krishna and Vishnu into one form.  Venugopal has 4 arms two of which play the flute.  The flute is an attribute mainly associated with Krishna.  Venugopal's other two hands hold a discus and a conch two symbols associated with Vishnu.  The conch represents "Om", the first sound of creation and also the beginning of matter, since sound and matter are consider to be synonymous.  The discus is thought to represent the sun.  Vishnu, like Shiva, was originally a minor deity with only five out to 1,028 hymns in the Rig Veda addressed to him.  He seems to have been derived from a  solar deity.  The discus is a vestige of his solar origins.

About the Black Marble:  The black marble, called sange-rathek, is found in Jhansi, in the state of Bihar, India.  The stone is known for its wonderful deep black/blue color and the colored purple and yellow veins that flow through the stone.  Looking into a piece of sange-rathek is like staring into deep space and seeing distant galaxies.  It is a very unique and wonderful stone.  Sculpture is very rare to find in this stone because there are seldom pieces of raw stone large enough to accommodate a full-sized sculpture.

One of the most widely revered and most popular of all Indian divinities, is Krishna worshipped as the eighth incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu. Krishna became the focus of a large number of devotional cults, which over the centuries have produced a wealth of religious poetry, music, painting and sculpture.

The child Krishna was adored for his mischievous pranks; he also performed many miracles and slew demons. As a youth, the cowherd Krishna became renown as a lover, the sound of his flute prompting gopis (wives and daughters of the cowherds) to leave their homes to dance ecstatically with him in the forests. His favorite among them was the beautiful Radha. Krishna's youthful dalliances with the gopis are interpreted as symbolic of the loving interplay between God and the human soul. Krishna affirms life in his pranks, music and lovemaking.

The rich variety of legends associated with Krishna's life led to an abundance of representation in painting and sculpture. The most reknown story surrounding Krishna is the Bahgavad Gita or Gita which is considered one of the most importatnt Hindu texts. The Gita is the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. Krishna is explaining to Arjuna that it is Arjuna's moral obligation to fight in a war that will put him against some members of his family. Krishna like Vishnu is an upholder of the moral order of the universe.

 

Click here to learn more about Krishna

Balan Arimuvani is the artist behind all our colored marble statues.  He has worked with Lotus Sculpture since we started in 2002. His small marble workshop began with only him and 2 other workers.  His business has grown to 8 marble artists and now he has a granite workshop employing 30 workers for large granite statues. He continually credits Lotus Sculpture with his success saying it would not have been possible with out the continuing commissions from Lotus Sculpture.  Balan is a good friend of Kyle Tortora, the owner of Lotus Sculpture. He has a wife and two beautiful girls.

View the video below to meet Balan and see his marble workshop and see a little how the statues are carved:

White, red and black marble 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.  Here are some easy tips to keep your White, red and black marble statues from Lotus Sculpture looking like the gods they are:

• Dust the statue as needed to prevent dirt build up
• To make the statue shine use a cotton cloth to buff the sculpture
• You can use a small amount of natural oil such as coconut oil or olive oil to further polish the sculpture
• Use a tooth brush to get into the hard to reach spaces of the sculpture
• DO NOT TOUCH the painted surfaces of any of the white marble statues.  This will damage the painting if done often
  

We recommend keeping our marble statues in an indoor environment.  The statues are durable however not durable enough to brave the natural outdoors.  Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions regarding your wooden statue from Lotus Sculpture, (760) 994-4455 or info@lotussculpture.com.

USA Shipping

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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. To obtain a shipping quote simply add the statue you are interested in to your shopping cart and then select click on the "Calculate Domestic Shipping" button. 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

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This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping to anywhere in the world. If you are in Canada please select "UPS Standard to Canada" for the shipping option. If you are an international customer please select "International Shipping" during checkout. The shipping charge will be calculated as $0. Lotus Sculpture will email you the correct shipping cost subject to your approval or you may call us at 760-994-4455 or email us at info@lotussculpture.com for a shipping quote. 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.