18th C. stone temple guardian salvaged from the 2001 Gujarat earthquake

What We Each Hold Sacred

There is an ancient Indian story about three blind men who were asked to touch an elephant and describe what they felt. The first one touched a leg. “It’s a pillar,” he said. The second touched the elephant’s thick hair and described a “bundle of twigs.” The last man softly caressed the elephant’s ear just like the gentle breeze it was creating. “It’s a fan,” he declared. Sometimes, all we can discern are fragments – of solid objects as well as hidden truths – hinting at a more complete story we can only imagine. 

Stone sculpture depicting Gajasimha, a half elephant, half lion guardian of sacred spaces

This week's New Arrival features a stone sculpture of Gajasimha, a half elephant, half lion guardian of sacred spaces. This particular piece survived the destruction of the Gujarat earthquake of 2001, which was centered in the Kutch District of India. It was part of a building that crumbled when the earth shook; but this piece didn’t. It fell to the ground and waited to be recovered – a fragment reminding us that what we hold sacred may be much harder to destroy than bricks and mortar

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