SOLD Shiva on Mount Kailash Kavadi 24"

This kavadi wall panel is handcrafted by the wood artisans in South India.  The sculpture pictured is the only sculpture Lotus Sculpture has like this in our store.  When you order this piece you will receive this exact sculpture.  It is truly one of a kind as there is only one made exactly like this!

A kavadi is a wall hanging that is shaped like an entrance to a South Indian temple.  These entrances are called gopurams and are known for their rich artistry and bright colors.  This kavadi shows lord Shiva is seated on the rocks of his mountain abode mount Kailash with both front hands held up in the varada mudra.  His back two hands each hold a dhamru or drum and a deer.  At the base of the kavadi are two peacocks.  To the left and right of Shiva are two yalis.  Yalis are mythical beasts that are a combination of many animals.  Above Shiva is Mahakala, a demon known as "great time" or the devourer of time.  There is a hook in the back of the wall panel so that it can be hung on a wall.

The painting scheme is adopted from the bright colors used in gopurams.  The gopurams are painted in vibrant colors which mirror the vibrant life of south India.

Shiva the Destroyer (Sanskrit: Auspicious One), or Siva, is one of the main Deities of Hinduism, worshipped as the paramount lord by the Saivite sects of India. Shiva is one of the most complex gods of India, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. He is the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger.
Shiva was originally known as Rudra, a minor deity addressed only three times in the Rig Veda.  He gained importance after absorbing some of the characteristics of an earlier fertility god and became Shiva, part of the trinity, or trimurti, with Vishnu and Brahma.
Shiva wears a snake coiled around his upper arms and neck symbolizing the power he has over the most deadly of creatures. Snakes are also used to symbolize the Hindu dogma of reincarnation. Their natural process of molting or shedding their skin is symbolic of the human soul's transmigration of bodies from one life to another.
Shiva's female consort and wife is Parvati; because of his generosity and reverence towards Parvati, Shiva is considered an ideal role model for a husband. The divine couple together with their sons - the six-headed Skanda and the elephant headed Ganesh - reside on Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas. 
His guardian is Nandi (the white bull), whose statue can often be seen watching over the main shrine.  The bull is said to embody sexual energy, fertility.  Riding on its back, Shiva is in control of these impulses.
He often holds a trident, which represents the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.  It is also said to represent the threefold qualities of nature: creation, preservation and destruction, although preservation is usually attributed to Vishnu.
As the destroyer, Shiva is dark and terrible, encircled with serpents and a crown of skulls.
Shiva often wears sacred Rudaksha beads, perhaps a reference to his earlier name Rudra.
The crescent moon Shiva wears on his crown, besides being a symbol of Kama the goddess of nightly love, also represents the bull, Nandi, a fertility symbol.
Shiva holds a skull that represents samsara, the cycle of life, death and rebirth.  Samsara is a central belief in Hinduism.  Shiva himself also represents this complete cycle because he is Mahakala, the Lord of Time, destroying and creating all things.
Shiva is represented in a variety of forms.  One such form is as a lingam.  The ovoid shape is a representation of the absolute perfection of Lord Shiva - if that which is beyond form had to be given form, the lingam would be the closest form to the mystical experience of the absolute perfection of Shiva.   Shiva is often pictured in a pacific mood with his consort Parvati, as the cosmic dancer Nataraja, as a naked ascetic, as a mendicant beggar, as a yogi, and as the androgynous union of Shiva and Parvati in one body (Ardhanarisvara).
Another example of Shiva's apparent synthesis of male and female attributes is seen in his earrings.  He wears one earring in the style of a man and the other as a female.
Shiva's third eye is a symbol of higher consciousness.  It is also a weapon he uses to destroy his enemies by emitting a fire missile which has the power to incinerate the three worlds.  He can also kill all the gods and other creatures during the periodic destruction of the universe.  Shiva's third eye first appeared when Parvati, his wife, playfully covered his other two eyes, so Shiva opened his third eye emitting his destructive missile endangering the three worlds.

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 info@lotussculpture.com.

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. 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

---

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.