Whole Murthis of Rameswaram

Here's the second print we bought in Cochin. A murthi refers to an idol which is used to worship and communicate with a God. Rameswaram is way in the south of Tamil Nadu, almost touching Sri Lanka.


You can click on the print and go to a much bigger version, but here are a few close-ups:

Ganesh the elephant god riding his vehicle, a rat:



Vishnu reclining beneath the serpent. The mustacioed man-eagle is his vehicle, Garuda:



A scene from the Ramayana. Rama is building a bridge to Sri Lanka here -- he's going to rescue his wife Sita, who had been captured by the demon-king Ravanna. (The structure that some believe to be that bridge has been much in the news recently.)



Shiva's dance of destruction and creation. The dwarvish demon he's squishing is named Apasmara -- he symbolizes ignorance.