India “Bodhisattva”

As I was watching A Passage to India I was struck by the opening images of the Indian gods. My thoughts went to my travels through India and Asia and the photographs I had taken. I went through them to find similar images that I thought would make a stunning box and here began the creation of the India box.

I chose an image of the Bodhisattva Padmapani “awakened being” or “enlightenment hero” from the Ajanta caves in northern India. The Bodhisattva vows to come back to this life again and again in order to help all living beings. Padma means “lotus” and pani is “hand”, so this is the Bodhisattva with lotus (as a symbol of enlightenment) in hand.