Vietnam White Marble Saraswati Seated on Her Swan, 30in

Saraswati as Hamsavahini, the rider of the swan

In this 30-inch murti Saraswati is shown as Hamsavahini, seated on the back of her swan. The hamsa is her vahana, and in the old telling it can separate milk from water, the way true knowledge separates what is real from what only seems so. Here the swan stands with its wings folded over a base of rippling water and open lotuses, its long neck curving forward, and the goddess sits high on its back with one foot resting on a lotus. The whole piece is carved in Vietnam white marble, a bright, cool white stone with a fine, compact grain, and left unpainted so the carving carries every detail.

Four arms, two on each side

She is four-armed, with two arms on each side of her body. The front pair play the veena held across her body, one hand at the strings and one along the neck below the carved scroll. Her back right hand lifts an akshamala, the rosary of japa and steady practice, and her back left hand holds a palm-leaf book, the sign of learning and the Vedas. She wears a draped sari over a fitted choli with the pallu across her torso, a tall crown with a halo behind it, layered necklaces, earrings, armlets and bangles. Her face is youthful and serene, eyes softly lowered, with a small tilak and a gentle smile.

Carving and finish

The master sculptors we work with in Jaipur rough out the composition from a single block, then work the feathers of the swan, the ripples and lotus petals of the base, the folds of the sari and the strings and frets of the veena with fine chisels and files. The piece is always hand-finished. The surface is polished in stages to a soft satin sheen, so the carved detail reads clearly under temple lights without the glare of a mirror polish.

Where she belongs

At 30 inches this is a murti for a temple sanctum or mandapa, the prayer hall of a school or college, or the courtyard of a music or arts institution, where Saraswati puja on Vasant Panchami is the centre of the year. Install her raised on a pedestal or platform, never directly on the floor, and many temples face her east or north. Wipe away kumkum, haldi and flower stains soon after puja and dry the stone after any abhishek, since marble is a natural, slightly porous material.

Commission it your way

The same composition can be carved at another height, in warmer Makrana white marble, or with the name of a temple, school or donor engraved along the front of the base. Send us the dimensions of the pedestal or niche on WhatsApp and we will help you settle the scale before carving begins.