Dear Professor Asko,

I discussed this with Dr. Gopal Joge of Deccan College, Pune. He added to Prof. Deshpande's scholarly opinion:- the image appears to be 'Vishnu', but with a typical late period 'Himalayan' style. Similar kinds of wood carving and images can be seen at Devi-Kothi, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Thanks.

On Wed, Mar 13, 2024 at 6:57 PM Madhav Deshpande via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:
Dear Asko,

This looks like Chaturbhuja Vishnu at the center, flanked by Hanuman and Garuda. In my family, we have an image of Krishna with Hanuman and Garuda at his feet. I have seen this arrangement in some temples in Pune.

Madhav
image.png

Madhav M. Deshpande
Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India

[Residence: Campbell, California, USA]


On Wed, Mar 13, 2024 at 5:53 AM Asko Parpola via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:
Years ago my wife acquired in London the finely carved wooden panel a scan of which is attached.
We are at loss in trying to identify the central figure with vaiṣṇava marks, worshipped by the monkey
king (Hanuman? Vālin?) and the bird king (Garuḍa? Jaṭāyus?). The worshippers rather point to
Rāma, but the iconography of the object of their worship is unusual and strange to me.
He wears a crown and the upper hands hold a three-leaved plant (?) and a sword or dagger (?),
the lower hands hold garlands (?) or reins of chariot horse (?). We look forward to expert opinions.

Best regards, Asko
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--
Regards,
Dr. Manish Rajan Walvekar
Assistant Professor (Senior Grade) and Centre Coordinator
Amrita Darshanam International Centre for Spiritual Studies
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Bangalore.

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