Lakshmi (IAST:Lakṣmī; (lit. 'goddess who leads to one's lakshya or goal') is one of the principle goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, love, beauty, Māyā, joy and prosperity.
Typically depicted with four arms that are symbolic of the four goals of humanity in Hinduism: dharma (pursuit of ethical, moral life), artha (pursuit of wealth, means of life), kama (pursuit of love, emotional fulfilment), and moksha (pursuit of self-knowledge, liberation). Seen here carrying a lotus in two hands, with her left in an abhaya mudra signifying 'no fear' and the right hand open in a varada mudra that signifies compassion & charity.
The goddess is framed by an ornamental portal with a sharp-tusked kirtimukham (a swallowing fierce monster face with huge fangs, and gaping mouth).The Kirtimukha is often used as a motif surmounting the pinnacle of a temple or the image of a deity, especially in South Indian architecture.
The lotus carries symbolic meanings in Hinduism and other Indian traditions. It symbolises knowledge, self-realisation, and liberation. The lotus, a flower that blooms in clean or dirty water, also symbolises purity regardless of the good or bad circumstances in which it grows. It is a reminder that good and prosperity can bloom and not be affected by evil in one's surrounding.
https://www.sfcollege.edu/Assets/sf/rue/pdfs/2017/buitron.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakshmi
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