Ashtadhatu

Shri 1008 Mahaveer Bhagwan idol at Shantinath Jain Teerth, Pune

Ashtadhatu (literally eight metals) is an alloy often used for casting metallic idols in Jain and Hindu temples in India.[1][2][3]

The composition is laid down in the Shilpa shastras, a collection of ancient texts that describe arts, crafts, and their design rules, principles and standards.

Its traditional composition is gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, tin, iron and antimony or mercury.[4][5][6] However sometimes an alloy idol is termed ashtadhatu, even when its exact composition is not known.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 9 stolen 'ashtadhatu' idols recovered in Siwan, Muzaffarpur, Debashish Karmakar, TNN,Jul 10, 2016
  2. ↑ Three held for stealing idols from Jain temples, Leena Dhankhar, Gurgaon, Hindustan Times, Jan 20, 2016
  3. ↑ भगवान के दर पर चोरों का धावा, जैन मंदिर से चुराई 7 अष्टधातु की मूर्तियां, Patrika news network, 2016-10-25
  4. ↑ "The Eight Metals"
  5. ↑ Social, Cultural, and Economic History of Himachal Pradesh, Manjit Singh Ahluwalia, Indus Publishing, 1998 p. 163
  6. ↑ स्वर्ण रूप्यं ताम्रं च रंग यशदमेव च। शीसं लौहं रसश्चेति धातवोऽष्टौ प्रकीर्तिता:। Here rasa can be taken as either mercury or brass
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