Site Name: Bhubaneswar
Date: 1900-1999
Subject: Lakshmi on Elephant. A figure of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on an elephant who represents wealth and good fortune and is consort of Lord Vishnu, made in cow dung. Cow dung, over centuries, has been used for making toys and figurines as an inexpensive alternative to wooden and metal figures. A lump of mixture of clay and cow dung is shaped and smoothened with a coat of chalk and then painted. These lightweight figures are generally coarse in design and lack detailing and ornamentation. This object has been loaned by State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC).



