More pictures (India, office)

[qatarperegrine]

Since I haven't posted anything interesting while I'm working on the India pictures, here are some pix to keep my devoted fans happy.

Stuff I bought in India:

Sketch of a goddess, done by an art student in Varanasi. Anyone know which goddess? She is, oddly, holding the implements of Vishnu: a mace, discus and conch. (Her fourth hand, broken off, would presumably have held a lotus.) But Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi, doesn't hold his weapons. Durga often holds the weapons of other gods, but I'd expect her to have other gods' weapons too. Anyone know more about identifying Hindu gods than me?		Buddha in bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra, which we saw frequently in Bodh Gaya. It represents the moment before the Buddha's enlightment, as he is being tempted by the forces of illusion. It is explained variously as his attempt to keep himself grounded or as his invitation to the earth itself to witness the moment of enlightenment. It was carved by a man sitting next to the gigantic Amida Buddha statue in Bodh Gaya.

And since I have the camera in my office today, here is what it looks like:

My corner of CMU.	A close-up, so Mum & Dad can see their pictures on my wall (and the Mendocino coast on my desktop). :-)