Week 4...A Different Culture

So week four was to research another culture...And man did that leave a million options out there for the taking. I didn't realize how specific I would have to get in the research.  I started with the idea of researching India and different examples of Indian Art. I had to get real specific with my searches. I finally narrowed it down to the depiction of Hindu Gods in art. From there I had to pick a specific god and a specific form (because in hindu, god have multiple incarnations). I ended up picking Saraswati.

Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, the arts, and sciences.  She is the companion of Brahma, the creator of the universe.  She was also known as the goddess associated with flowing water. (Generally flowing water is associated with the flow of creativity).

In art, Saraswati is depicted as having 4 arms, each representing an aspect of learning- mind, knowledge, alertness and ego. Each hand has a specific object that it carries. In her left, back hand, Saraswati holds sacred texts (in my picture, just a book). The right back hand holds a rosary (signifying meditation). In her front two hands, she holds a Veena, a indian musical instrument which she normally plays while sitting upon a lotus flower (symbolizing the search of light or knowledge). She is accompanied by a swam whom is her mode of transportation.  

A prayer to Saraswati that I found goes as follows:

"May Goddess Saraswati, who is fair like the jasmine colored moon, and whose pure white garland is like the frosty dew drops, who is adorned in radiant white attire, on whose beautiful arms rests the veens, and whose throne is a white lotus, who is surrounded and respected by the gods, protect me. May you fully remove my lethargy, sluggishness and ignorance."

 I love Hindu art and I would love to follow up on research. I am in no way an expert but I hope I did some justice for this powerful and important goddess!