Miniature Swayambhunath with dorje at Ukubahal. Patan. Nepal.
Prayers wheels around temple of Uku bahal in Patan. Nepal.
This exquisitely carved wooden strut depicts demi goddess who grasps a branch of a sal tree. A parrot, a symbol of love, balances on her left hand, the figure is known as salabhanjika, or goddess of a sacred grove. The strut supports a roof of gilt copper in Uku Bahal, Musch of the woodcarving seen on historic valley buildings dates from the malla period (12th to 18th centuries) but carbon-dating of Uku Bahal’s struts suggest that at least some of the struts were carved between 690-890 AD by a superb craftsman who took care not only with the carving of the features and ornaments of the deity, but also with the natural elements framing them.
