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Indian Artworks

Gods and Goddesses, the Basis of Many Indian Artworks

23 July 2021Read time: 12min

Gods and goddesses have been the most favourite themes of sculptures, murals, paintings and other artwork in India and in the southern state of Kerala. Indian mythology contains a vast array of gods and goddesses that have specific connotations and also aesthetic features. Getting artwork depicting them would give you a slice of classical India. We give you a gist of the major deities whose sculptures and mural artwork can be found quite commonly in the country:


  • Of all the gods in Indian mythology Lord Ganesh is probably the most iconic, with his humanoid body and the head of an elephant. As a result, we find a great deal of
    artwork, particularly sculptures, depicting the deity. Lord Ganesh holds the reputation for being the god of prosperity, success and also good luck. He is also the son of two other important deities, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi.

  • The most favourite deity of Indians is arguably Lord Krishna. Lord Vishnu’s eighth avatar is the god of compassion and love, and is often depicted in paintings and
    sculptures as a blue-skinned child playing a flute. Another common depiction is the child Krishna relishing eating butter from a pot. Adult versions of Krishna are also
    common.

  • Lord Vishnu holds a very important place in the Hindu pantheon as one of the three members of the Trimurti, the trinity containing Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. Two of his key attributes are “the Preserver” and “the Protector of Good”. He is identified by his dark blue skin and four arms, though there are also variations in artworks
    depicting two arms.

  • Goddess Lakshmi is one of the most important female deities since she is the goddess of prosperity and wealth, and her name in Sanskrit indicates she leads people to attain their goal. She is part of the Tridevi or the female version of the Trimurti, the others being Goddess Parvati and Goddess Saraswati. She is typically
    depicted on a huge lotus flower, and also holding a lotus.

  • Lord Shiva or Mahadeva is considered the Supreme Being, particularly in the Shaivism tradition of Hinduism. He is part of the Trimurti that also contains Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva is considered “The Destroyer” as well the protector and transformer of the universe in Shaivism. The most iconic feature of the deity is the
    third eye situated right at the centre of the forehead.

  • Goddess Saraswati is an integral deity of Hindu religion as the goddess of knowledge and learning. She is also associated with art, music and speech. She is part of the Tridevi trinity of female deities, the others being Laskhmi and Parvati. Saraswati is depicted as holding the Indian stringed instrument veena in one of her four hands.

    • Beyond these, there are other deities too who are depicted quite commonly in sculptures and mural paintings in India. These are Lord Hanuman and Nataraja. As you probably know, Hanuman is distinctive with his monkey-shaped jaw. Nataraja is a depiction of Lord Shiva in the pose of a dance called Nadanta or Tandavam.
    If you would like a taste of the cultural past of India, why not get yourself an iconic sculpture or mural artwork of any of these gods and goddesses?

    Hari Rahul Handicraft
    Business Owner
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