Gajendra Moksh

Description:

It is believed that Gajendra Moksha Mantra is a very powerful Mantra that gives the chanter to face difficulties and come out of unwanted situations. According to a popular legend, Lord Vishnu saved Gajendra (the king of elephants) from the clutches of crocodile when Gajendra prayed this stotra.

Here is the story!!

In mount Trikoota there lived an elephant called Gajendra who was the king of Elephants. There was a beautiful garden in the mountain called Rtumat created by Varuna. One day Gajendra went to the lake near by the garden to pick lotus flowers to offer prayer to Lord Vishnu. Suddenly he felt something is pulling his leg under the water. Soon he realizes that it is a crocodile. He kept trying for sometime using all his strengths but nothing helped. His friends and family around him were worried and didn’t know how to help him. When they realised that ‘death’ had come close to Gajendra, they left him alone. With immense pain, Gajendra gathering all his strength he raised his trunk and called Lord Vishnu to help holding a lotus up in the air as an offering to Lord Vishnu to save him.

Vishnu heard his prayer and arrives to the scene and he decapitated the crocodile’s head using his chakra. Gajendra throws himself flat on the ground before the god. Vishnu informed Gajendra that he, in one of his previous births, had been the celebrated King Indradyumna, a devotee of Vishnu, but due to his disrespect to the great Sage Agastya, he had been cursed to be reborn as an elephant.

Because Indradyumna had been devoted to Vishnu, he had him born as Gajendra and made him realize that there is something called Kaivalya which is beyond Svarga and Urdhva Loka, the realm of the gods. Indradyumna could attain Moksha finally when he (as Gajendra) left all his pride and doubt and totally surrendered himself to Vishnu. So that’s the story of Gajendra Moksh.

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History of Tanjore Painting:

Tanjore Painting / Tanjavur Painting as the name suggests comes from Tanjavur in South India. This style of painting was inaugurated by king Ragunatha Nayakkar in 16th century AD. Untill 13 century, Tanjore was ruled by chozhas after which Tanjavur was captured by Nayakars from Vijaya Nagaram Empire. They ruled the Tamil country by dividing into three Nayakships i. e. Madurai, Tanjore and Gingee.

King Ragunadha nayakkar who reigned Tanjore from 1600 to 1634 is said to be the founder of Tanjore Paintings. He is considered to be the greatest of the Thanjavur Nayak kings. His reign is noted for the attainments of Thanjavur in arts, literature, art and carnatic music like in the times of Mahendra varma Pallava and his son Narasimhavarma Pallava during 600AD-668AD in Kanchi (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) during Pallava dynasty.

In early days, they used metals to make Gods. After a point there was only war in the land of Tanjore by Portuguese, English, and Mughals. It was difficult to find metals as it was a key meterial for making weapons. So King Raghunatha nayakkar brought nayakar people and Rajus from Thirupathi. Who were already good at Kalamkari art form. So typically Tanjore Painting was adapted from Andhra.

Later Marathas captured Thanjavur and reigned from 1674 to 1799. Tanjore paintings kept evolving during all these period.

*In early days, they used metals to make Gods. After a point there was only war in the land of Tanjore by Portuguese, English & Mughals. It was difficult to find metals as it was a key meterial for making weapons. So King Raghunatha nayakkar brought nayakar people & Rajus from Thirupathi. Who were already good at Kalamkari art form. So typically Tanjore Painting was adapted from Andhra. Later Marathas captured Thanjavur & reigned from 1674 to 1799. Tanjore paintings kept evolving during all these period.

Here are some facts about early Tanjavur Paintings:

*There was no gem stones in the Tanjore paintings during the Nayakkar period (Vijayanagar Dynasty) but used only real gold leafs. During the Maratha period they started adding Gems, Emeralds, Rubies n other precious stones to the paintings to add more beauty & grandness to the paintings. Hence Tanjore paintings were very expensive & was meant only for rich & royal families those days.

* The Nose rings on deities seen in Tanjore paintings are relatively new. Tanjore painting artisans say, the earliest paintings had no nose rings on women and it’s a way to judge the age of the painting. We understand that there was no nose rings on the Devis until the Chozha period. But we can see the influence of Mughal period on the Tanjore paintings, with the introduction of Nose ring in those paintings.

*The Early Tanjore paintings were painted on Jackfruit wood as they could withstand all weathers and were framed in teak wood but with no protection glasses.

*The color medium used in the Tanjavur paintings were made of Organic Vegetable dyes. Hence they were of lighter shades unlike our modern day Tanjore paintings. These Colors weren’t affected by the light exposure as the lamps were dull n not too bright. Invention of electricity made them hard to survive.

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Product Details:

SKU ID: PTP007

Product Name: Gajendra Moksh

Artist: Unkown

Dimensions: 17" x 14" x 2"

Weight: 2.3 Kgs

P. S. The products we sell are vintage and antiques and hence may have visible scratches and chip offs. We cherish them as they are reminders of the story they have been part of and hence we proudly display them in the product pictures too.

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