Thanks for your comment, Shekhar. It set me off to do some research and this is what I found. The half Vishnu-Lakshmi is known by two names — (i) Vaikuntha Kamalja, and (ii) Ardhanari Narayana. This depiction is rare and is supposed to have originated, depending on the source, in either Bihar-Bengal region or Nepal. Considering that the banias travelled extensively, we now know where they got the inspiration from.
Thank you so much once again, Shekhar. I had meant to research on this and if not for your comment, would have done it later rather than sooner. 🙂
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I think this is related to some mythology about Lakshmi-Narayana rather than Ardhanareeshwara.
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Thanks for your comment, Shekhar. It set me off to do some research and this is what I found. The half Vishnu-Lakshmi is known by two names — (i) Vaikuntha Kamalja, and (ii) Ardhanari Narayana. This depiction is rare and is supposed to have originated, depending on the source, in either Bihar-Bengal region or Nepal. Considering that the banias travelled extensively, we now know where they got the inspiration from.
Thank you so much once again, Shekhar. I had meant to research on this and if not for your comment, would have done it later rather than sooner. 🙂
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