This beautiful vintage shrine print poster is of the well known Hindu God, Ganesh, Goddess Saraswati and the Goddess Lakshmi. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity in Hinduism. Therefore, she is praised and worshiped to bring in success, fame, and happiness into every individual’s life. The word Lakshmi is derived from Sanskrit word “Laksya” which means “goal”. Therefore, one who practices a virtuous life is believed to be blessed by Goddess Lakshmi who helps the person find the right path in life. She is also known as the female supreme being called “Shri” or “Mahalakshmi”.
This print is called the Dipavali Puja. Dipavali (also known as Diwali), the Indian festival of lights is celebrated enthusiastically in the autumn and is the most popular of all holidays in the subcontinent. The worship of Lakshmi, Goddess of prosperity on the third day of Dipavali is a central feature of the festival. In Dipavali prints, Lakshmi is often joined by Sarasvati and Ganesh, three auspicious deities who form a new kind of Hindu trinity. Here the artist brings the three together in a pastiche assembly, with the elements needed for their worship present below.
Almost every Indian shop has a Lakshmi print hanging above the cash register (Goddess of prosperity, luck, and beauty), always with a garland of flowers around her frame and a dot of sandalwood paste and kumkum (vermilion) on her forehead, placed between her eyes at the point of the sixth chakra, the third eye, the point at which we open spiritually to the divine. Devotees place this tilak (mark) on the glass as a reminder of darshan, the moment during puja (worship) when their eyes and Lakshmi's met. There is actually some tilak on Laskhmi face on the glass from this ritual many years ago.
Size: 20" x 16"
This print has gone through many monsoons (with months of humidity), so it may have some staining and discoloration, along with some marks, tattered torn edges and rips that come with daily use and age. Please check the photos for more details.
In the period following independence in 1947 in India, the religious print business in India grew dramatically in its scale and diversity. All the prints I import from India are from this era and are a lot more colorful and bold in comparison to the very early prints in the late 1800's.
*Price includes free postage to anywhere in the UK.*
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