The Statue of Lord Ayyappa Swamy is made from Brass and is crafted by our artisans.
The story of Ayyappa swami has found a place in the eighth chapter of Bhaagavatha shows the divinity of this south Indian god has spread across the length and breadth of India.Lord Ayyappan Swami also called Sastavu, Manikandan or Sasta is a Hindu deity who is the son of Harihara, fused with both Shiva and Vishnu. He is generally depicted in a yogic posture, wearing a jewel around his neck, hence named Manikandan, Literally meaning "With bell around the neck".The most prominent and famous Ayyappan shrine is the one at Sabarimala, in the hills of Pathanamthitta in Kerala, with over One million devotees visiting it every year, making it one of the largest pilgrimage sites in the world. Devotees who held him and his descendants in 'bhakthi' shall happen to be devoted to Him as well.
Design: Made in heavy shining brass.
Brass is well known for its grasping capacity.It grasps the divine spirit upto 30%, when compared to other metals.The spiritual vibrations are attracted towards these shining idols easily.
Dimensions: 5.8 inches (H) x 4.25 inches (W) x 2.5 inches (thickness) approx
Weight: 765 grams
Importance of Idol worship: Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors,but shining channels through which the heart of the devotee is attracted to and flows towards God.Though the image is worshipped, the devotee feels the presence of the Lord in it and pours out his devotion unto it.Regular worship, Puja and other modes of demonstrating our inner feeling of recognition of Divinity in the idol unveils the Divinity latent in it.This is truly a wonder and a miracle.The picture comes to life.The idol speaks. It will answer your questions and solve your problems.The God in you has the power to awaken the latent Divinity in the idol.The lives of Mirabai,Sant Tukaram,Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Shri Yogananda are a few instances to prove the point.They proved beyond doubt that idol worship has its own brighter side and through simple faith and intense devotion one can realize God through it.
Idols are the"finite representation of the Infinite".As per Vishnu Samhita (ch 29,v 55-7),persuasively endorses the use of imagery (idols) and puts it:"Without a form how can God be mediated upon? If (He is) without any form, where will the mind fix itself? When there is nothing for the mind to attach itself to,it will slip away from meditation or will glide into a state of slumber.Therefore the wise will meditate on some form, remembering, however, that the form is a superimposition and not a reality."