Gajalakshmi (), also spelt as Gajalaxmi, is one of the most significant '' Ashtalakshmi'' aspects of the Hindu goddess of prosperity,

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with '' Maya'' ("Illusion"). A ...

Mythology

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and ...

, Gajalakshmi is regarded to have restored the wealth and power lost by

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

when she rose from the

Samudra Manthana The Samudra Manthana ( sa, समुद्रमन्थन; ) is a major episode in Hinduism that is elaborated in the Vishnu Purana, a major text of Hinduism. The Samudra Manthana explains the origin of the elixir of eternal life, amrita. Nom ...

, the churning of the ocean. She is the form of the goddess who stands for animal wealth, as well as other symbols of wealth that represent strength.

Iconography

In a sixth century BCE sculpture, the goddess is depicted holding a lotus in her left hand and a lotus cornucopia in her right hand. There are two lions at her feet, two elephants bathing her with life giving waters, and two female attendants to her left and right side holding flywhisks.

Depictions

An image is found from the 2nd century BCE, possibly in Buddhist contexts, and appears on the railings from the Buddhist site of Bharhut, from 125-100 BCE. It appears on a 1st-century BCE coin of

Azilises Azilises (Greek: , (epigraphic); Kharosthi: , ) was an Indo-Scythian king who ruled in the area of Gandhara circa 57-35 BCE. Name Azes's name is attested on his coins in the Greek form () and the Kharosthi form (), which are both derived fro ...

, and a 3rd-century CE coin from

Kausambi Kosambi ( Pali) or Kaushambi ( Sanskrit) was an important city in ancient India. It was the capital of the Vatsa kingdom, one of the sixteen mahajanapadas. It was located on the Yamuna River about southwest of its confluence with the Ganges ...

. One or two elephants depicted alongside a woman symbolized the birth of

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

. Temples in

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

in the classic local Kalinga architecture style very often have a figure of Gajalakshmi in

lalitasana Lalitasana is a pose or mudra in Indian art and the art of dharmic religions in other countries. It is often called "the royal position" or "royal ease" in English, and is a relaxed pose typical in royal portraits and those of religious fig ...

as their ''lalatabimba'' or central protective image over the doorway to a temple or the sanctuary. One of the tympana at the Temple of Bantãy Srĕi in

Siem Reap, Cambodia Siem Reap ( km, សៀមរាប, ) is the second-largest city of Cambodia, as well as the capital and largest city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. Siem Reap has French colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old F ...

, has a beautifully sculptured image of the Goddess Gajalakshmi in pink

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

. Though over a thousand years old, this tympanum is in almost as good a state as it must been when created. Gajalakshmi is worshipped in many places in Goa and

Konkan The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...

as a fertility goddess, mostly under the names ''Gajantlakshmi'', ''Gajalakshmi'', ''Kelbai'' or ''Bhauka devi'', by various Konkani communities as their tutelary deity. According to Timothy Taylor, there might be a connection between the female deity with elephants portrayed on the Gundestrup cauldron and Gajalakshmi.Taylor, Timothy (1992), “The Gundestrup cauldron”, ''Scientific American, 266'': 84-89.

Gallery

File:Gajalakshmi, Cave No. 16 (Kailasa Temple), Ellora Caves.jpg, Cave 16 (Kailasa Temple), Ellora Caves File:Gajalaxmi - Medallion - 2nd Century BCE - Red Sand Stone - Bharhut Stupa Railing Pillar - Madhya Pradesh - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2012-11-16 1837 Cropped.JPG, Gajalaxmi medallion from Bharhut stupa railing pillar, sandstone, 125-100 BCE.

Indian Museum, Kolkata The Indian Museum in Central Kolkata, West Bengal, India, also referred to as the Imperial Museum at Calcutta in colonial-era texts, is the ninth oldest museum in the world, the oldest and largest museum in India as well as in Asia. It has rare ...

File:Shri Lakshmi Lustrated by Elephants (Gaja-Lakshmi) LACMA M.85.62 (cropped).jpg, 1st century BCE File:Coin of Azilises showing Gaja Lakshmi standing on a lotus 1st century BCE.jpg, Coin of

, 1st century BCE File:Ratnagiri ei3-36.jpg, Over the doorway of the Buddhist Monastery 1 at

Ratnagiri, Odisha Ratnagiri (Odia: ରତ୍ନଗିରି, meaning "hill of jewels") is the site of a ruined mahavihara, once the major Buddhist monastery in modern Odisha, India. It is located on a hill in between the Brahmani and Birupa rivers in Jajpur distr ...

File:Shri Lakshmi Lustrated by Elephants (Gaja-Lakshmi) LACMA M.74.40.1 (1 of 5).jpg,

, 18th century File:Raja Ravi Varma, Goddess Lakshmi, 1896.jpg,

Raja Ravi Varma Raja Ravi Varma ( ml, രാജാ രവിവർമ്മ; 29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian painter and artist. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. His works are one of the best examples ...

, ''Goddess Lakshmi'', 1896

Citations

References

*''Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend'' () by Anna Dallapiccola {{HinduMythology Lakshmi Hindu iconography