--> Skip to main content


Rare Murti of Goddess Saraswati in National Gallery of Australia – Should it not be in a Hindu Temple?

A rare murti of Goddess Saraswati is part of the collection National Gallery of Australia. A murti (ignorantly referred as idol) is a form given to a deity for worship in Hinduism. This particular Goddess Saraswati murti belongs to the early-mid 12th century, Hoysala dynasty in Karnataka in India.

Goddess Saraswati is the goddess of learning, art and literature in Hinduism.

The Australian reports 
A sculpture of Sarasvati is one of the highlights of the Asian collection at Canberra's National Gallery of Australia. It was acquired in 2011 with the support of Melbourne couple Pauline and John Gandel, who also gave the gallery a gift of $7.5 million in 2010. 
She is adorned with lavish jewellery and seated cross-legged on an elaborate throne. She has four hands and each holds a symbolic feature: an elephant goad to nudge humankind towards virtuous living, a garland of beads for devotion, a noose showing that earthly desires are destructive and holding us back, and a palm-leaf manuscript signifying wisdom and knowledge.
Hindu Blog View
This murti should be the main deity in a Hindu Temple. Not part of a collection in any museum.