Yantra painting, "Goddess Ganga"

Celestial colors and ethereal imagery distinguish this yantra painting by Dr. Sneh Gangal. "It is to be visualized when worshipping the Goddess Ganga by saying her mantra, Namah Shivaya naryanyail dashhrayai gangayi swaha. She represents the Ganges River, sacred to the people of Hindu faith," explains the artist. "Ganga is worshipped by all to attain purity of soul and to receive all kinds of favors from lords Shiva and Vishnu." Dr. Gangal paints the yantra with natural stone colors on ivory paper. The painting is mounted on lined card paper.

Dr. Gangal is inspired by the yantras in Mantra Mahodathi by Dr. Sudhakar Malvaya. A yantra, according to Indian metaphysics, is a geometric representation of energy. According to Hindu Tantras, a mantra is regarded as the ray of consciousness that a yantra represents figuratively. Indian truth-seekers believe that everything in this world represents the abstract energies of a deity, hence every visual phenomenon is a form of yantra. Each yantra has a distinctive pattern that cannot be changed, but which Dr. Gangal embellishes in her own creative way.