|
Sri
Lakshmi, Goddess of Prosperity and Good Fortune:
Hindu.
Depicted holding or seated upon the lotus, symbol of
spiritual purity, fertility and vegetative growth, the goddess Sri Laxmi is
venerated, like Ganesh, for her auspicious nature. She carries a coffer, and
gold coins shower from her hand. She represents the supreme divine
principle which pervades all creation with vitality and consciousness. Actively
venerated by nearly 1 billion Hindus, Laxshmi is the modern face of the ancient
Great Mother Goddess; stalks of grain surrounding her head connote a rich
harvest.
Lakshmi, or Sri, is the Hindu Goddess of love and beauty and
the Indian equivalent of Aphrodite, for she was born on a lotus from the
churning of the milky sea when her consort Vishnu manifested as a tortoise
avatar. She has strong associations with the fall festival of Divali.
Here she is shown offering boons and blessings and holding
the lotus flowers.
This Goddess of wealth, happiness and beauty emerged
from the ocean of milk when the Gods churned the sea in order to produce divine
nectar. She is pictured as a slim-waisted, full breasted feminine beauty. When
she is depicted separately from her consort Vishnu, she has four hands. In two
of them she holds lotus flowers, while the other two bestow the gifts of
well-being and prosperity.
When she is
depicted with Vishnu, Lakshmi has only two hands. She sits or stands on the
lotus flower, and sometimes has elephants on either side. The new moon night of
November is dedicated to her annual ceremony.
Lakshmi is said to reside in sweet-smelling floral
garlands which bring fortune and wealth to the wearer. She also has a role as a
fertility goddess and is particularly linked to the richness of the soil.
|