Lakshmi-Hayagriva - panchaloha - large
Description
Lord Hayagriva is the lord of knowledge, a lesser-known form of Sriman Narayana. He possesses a human body and the head of a horse. There is a famous story recounted in the Mahabharata in which Lord Hayagriva defeats the demons Madhu and Kaitabha for having stolen the Vedas from Lord Brahma, to whom He then restores them. Lord Hayagriva is therefore seen as both the source and protector of knowledge and is commonly worshipped by Vaishnavas before commencing any studying or learning.
Although Lord Hayagriva is sometimes worshiped in a solitary pose, He is most commonly worshipped along with his consort, Maha-Lakshmi, and so is known as Lakshmi-Hayagriva. Hayagriva in this form is the presiding deity of Mysore's Parakala Mutt, a prominent Sri Vaishnava temple.
Material: Panchaloha (five-metals in the right combination)
Colour: Golden (but not gold-plated)
Height full: approximately 240 mm. Size is measured from bottom of the base to top of head.
Base: 145 mm (L) x 120 mm (W)