From Mayu’s Journal…
Every painting carries a story. Some stories teach us something. Others stay quietly in our hearts. This is one I return to often.
Today, let me ask you something.
If Goddess Lakshmi had to choose one person in the whole universe to stay with, who do you think she would choose?
The richest?
The most powerful?
Perhaps the one who wanted her the most?
I smiled when I first heard this question because the answer is not quite what we might expect.
Goddess Lakshmi is Vishnu’s consort, yes. But the story of how she chose him teaches us something much deeper about prosperity, abundance, and the kind of life we invite into our homes.
And that story begins…
at the bottom of an ocean.
The Kshira Sagara.
The Ocean of Milk.
Come, let me tell you.
Before Lakshmi Appeared, Prosperity Had Disappeared
Long ago, the three worlds had lost their radiance.
The Devas had become weak. Prosperity had begun to disappear. Even nature seemed to have lost some of its bloom.
And strangely enough, it all began with something very small.
A garland.
Sage Durvasa once offered a sacred garland to Indra, the king of the Devas. But Indra, caught up in his own glory, failed to honour the gift as he should have.
The garland fell.
And with it came Durvasa’s curse.
Slowly, fortune began to leave the three worlds.
The Devas became desperate.
So they went to Lord Vishnu.
If they wanted their strength and radiance back, Vishnu told them, they would have to obtain Amrit, the nectar of immortality.
And there was only one way to do it.
They had to churn the Ocean of Milk.
There was just one problem.
The Devas were too weak to churn an entire ocean by themselves.
So Vishnu gave them an unusual piece of advice.
Join hands with the Asuras.
Imagine that.
The Devas and Asuras were sworn enemies. Yet now, they had to stand on opposite sides of the same ocean and pull the same rope.
The Asuras agreed, driven partly by their own desire for Amrit.
Mount Mandara became the churning rod.
The great serpent Vasuki became the rope.
And then…
they began.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The ocean churned.
But the First Thing That Rose Was Not Amrit
I want you to pause here for a moment.
If you had been standing beside that ocean, waiting for the nectar of immortality to emerge, what would you have expected?
Gold?
Jewels?
Perhaps Amrit itself?
But that wasn’t what came first.
The first thing to emerge was poison.
Halahala.
A deadly poison so powerful that it threatened to destroy creation itself.
Everyone stepped back.
Everyone was terrified.
Only Lord Shiva stepped forward.
He drank the poison and held it in his throat, preventing it from spreading through the world.
Only then could the churning continue.
There’s something about this part of the story that has always stayed with me.
Before the nectar came…
the poison had to come out.
Perhaps life is a little like that too.
When peace disappears, we want it back immediately.
When happiness fades, we want everything to feel normal again.
When prosperity takes an unexpected turn, we wonder when things will finally become easier.
But sometimes, before something beautiful can emerge, the difficult things have to rise to the surface first.
Perhaps we have to face them.
Work through them.
Let them pass.
So if life feels like an ocean you’re still churning…
keep going.
The story doesn’t end with the poison.
And Then, She Appeared
The ocean continued to churn.
And then…
she appeared.
Goddess Lakshmi.
Standing upon a radiant lotus, she emerged from the Ocean of Milk in all her grace.
The chaos seemed to fall silent.
The Devas looked at her.
The Asuras looked at her.
The sages looked at her.
Everyone wanted her.
But Lakshmi did not rush towards the loudest voice.
She did not choose the richest.
She did not choose the most powerful.
She looked.
And then she looked towards Vishnu.
He wasn’t trying to impress her.
He wasn’t asking her to choose him.
He simply stood there—calm, steady, and complete.
And Lakshmi chose him.
I think there is a beautiful lesson hidden in that moment.
Lakshmi did not choose the one who wanted wealth the most.
She chose the one who knew how to hold it.
Perhaps that is one of the quiet secrets of abundance.
It doesn’t belong simply where it is chased.
It flourishes where it is respected.
Where it has purpose.
And where Dharma gives it direction.
What the Lotus Teaches Us About Lakshmi
Look closely at a Goddess Lakshmi Tanjore Painting.
You will often find her seated gracefully upon a lotus.
The lotus is not just there to make the composition beautiful.
It carries its own message.
A lotus rises from muddy water, yet its beauty remains untouched.
It reminds me that we can move through difficult circumstances without allowing those circumstances to take away our grace.
Life may become turbulent.
Our circumstances may change.
There may be seasons when everything feels uncertain.
But perhaps we don’t have to become the turbulence around us.
We can still rise.
We can still remain graceful.
We can still bloom.
And that is one reason Lakshmi has remained such a beloved presence in Indian homes for generations.
She represents much more than material wealth.
She represents abundance, grace, auspiciousness, beauty, well-being, and prosperity with purpose.
Then Lakshmi’s Story Came Home
But there is another story I love.
This time, the story isn’t about the entire universe.
It is about one woman.
Her name was Charumathi.
She lived in Magadha and was devoted to her family. Her life was simple. She wasn’t constantly asking for more or chasing wealth.
One night, Goddess Lakshmi appeared to Charumathi in a dream.
She asked her to observe a special vrata on the Friday before the full moon of Shravana.
Charumathi followed the instructions with faith.
Other women joined her.
And Lakshmi appeared among them as Vara Mahalakshmi—the Goddess who grants boons.
But look carefully at the blessings associated with Vara Mahalakshmi.
They aren’t limited to wealth.
There is health.
Long life.
Family harmony.
Well-being.
And, perhaps most importantly…
a peaceful home.
That’s why I love the name Vara Mahalakshmi.
She reminds us that abundance has many forms.
Sometimes it is money.
Sometimes it is good health.
Sometimes it is children laughing in the next room.
Sometimes it is watching our parents grow old peacefully beside us.
And sometimes…
it is simply waking up in a home where our heart feels safe.
What Should We Really Ask Lakshmi For?
So, when you pray to Vara Mahalakshmi, perhaps don’t ask only,
“What can you give me?”
Maybe ask something else.
“What will I do with what you give me?”
Because wealth without wisdom can become greed.
Wealth without purpose can become empty.
But prosperity held with gratitude, responsibility, and Dharma becomes something very different.
It becomes a blessing.
It becomes Lakshmi.
And perhaps that is why a Vara Mahalakshmi Tanjore Painting means more to me than simply a beautiful piece of traditional art.
Look at her.
Seated upon the lotus.
Adorned with jewels.
Her expression calm and compassionate.
Her saree glowing in rich traditional colours.
And around her, the unmistakable brilliance of genuine 22K gold foil and carefully set gemstones, hallmarks of traditional Tanjore craftsmanship.
When you stand before an authentic Mahalakshmi Tanjore painting, you don’t simply see an image of the Goddess.
You are reminded of what she represents.
Abundance.
Grace.
Peace.
Auspicious beginnings.
And the wisdom to use what we receive well.
A Tanjore Painting That Becomes Part of Home
Perhaps this is why families choose Lakshmi Tanjore paintings for their homes.
For some, she belongs in the pooja room, becoming part of their daily prayers.
For others, a Mahalakshmi Tanjore painting marks the beginning of a new chapter—a new home, a wedding, a housewarming, or another important family milestone.
And over time, the painting becomes more than décor.
A child grows up seeing Lakshmi in the morning light.
A mother lights a diya before her during festivals.
A family gathers in front of her during prayers.
Years pass.
The painting remains.
That is the beauty of handcrafted Tanjore art.
It doesn’t simply occupy a wall.
It becomes part of the life that happens around it.
Perhaps the Ocean Still Has Something to Tell Us
Sometimes I think about that ocean.
The Devas wanted Amrit.
They churned.
The poison appeared.
They kept churning.
More treasures emerged.
They kept churning.
And finally…
Lakshmi rose from the waters.
Maybe that’s the part of the story we need most today.
We want the beautiful part immediately.
We want prosperity without uncertainty.
Peace without struggle.
The answer without the waiting.
But life rarely works that way.
Sometimes the ocean has to be churned.
Sometimes the difficult things rise first.
And sometimes, when we are patient enough to continue…
something beautiful appears that we weren’t even looking for.
So if you are going through a season of uncertainty right now, let me remind you of something.
Keep churning.
The story doesn’t end with the poison.
There may still be a lotus waiting beneath the turbulence.
And perhaps, when Lakshmi rises…
your home will be ready to welcome her.
Come and Experience Her Story in Gold
At ArtsAisle – The God’s Own Art Gallery, we believe sacred art should carry more than beauty.
It should carry a story.
A tradition.
A feeling.
And perhaps, a blessing.
Our authentic Tanjore paintings are handcrafted with traditional techniques, genuine 22K gold foil, and carefully chosen gemstones that bring each divine figure to life.
If you’re looking for a Vara Mahalakshmi Tanjore Painting, a Mahalakshmi painting for your pooja room, or simply want to experience the beauty of traditional Tanjore art in Bengaluru, I’d love to welcome you.
Come and stand before her.
Don’t just look at the gold.
Look at the story.
Notice the craftsmanship.
Watch how the gold responds to the light.
And perhaps, for a few quiet moments, let yourself experience what abundance feels like when it isn’t being chased…
but simply welcomed.
ArtsAisle Experience Centre
Kasturi Nagar, Bengaluru
Instagram: @artsaisle
Heritage • Devotion • Blessings
Until my next story,
Mayu
Curator of Stories & Divine Art at ArtsAisle™
