
17/08/2025
Today I visited the exhibition
Ancient India/Living Traditions at the British Museum.
I loved this depiction of
The Goddess Lakshmi, who has Yakshi origins and is one of the most popular deities in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. This basalt lintel is from a Buddhist context. Here Lakshmi sits on a lotus πͺ· blossom, while elephants pour water over her. Their dark bodies symbolise monsoon clouds filled with much anticipated rain, ready to bring the earth to life.
Gaja Lakshmi (elephant Lakshmi) so successfully conveys the message of abundance that representations have changed very little over several thousand years.
The carving dates 200-100 BC and was discovered in a cave in Maharashtra.
The painting is from Bundi. A beautiful district in Rajasthan, close to where I will be running my next yoga holiday in 2026. # British Museum