What is Panchaloha idol – components and percentage used?

Panchaloha or Pancha Loha idol as the name indicates consists of five metals. Pancha means five and loha means metal. Panchaloha idols are found in many Hindu temples in India especially in South India. Panchaloha consists of Gold, Silver, Brass, Copper and Iron.

The percentage of metals used is 4 portions of silver, 1 portion of gold, 8 portions of brass, 8 portions of copper and a small quantity of iron. This percentage is only to give a general idea and might vary from region to region.

Today, the main constituent in Panchaloha idol is copper, brass and lead. Large quantity of copper is mainly used in idols that are sold in large-scale like the Nataraja statue.

But the idols made for temples strictly follow the tradition and contain gold and silver.