Votive Palque of Durga

Molela village, situated in the Nathdwara Tehsil of Rajsamand district of Rajasthan is the traditional centre of producing terracotta images of regionally worshipped deities such as Dev Narayan (also known as Dharamraj), Karaji-Goraji, Sadhumata, Bhuna-Mehndu, Chamunda, Kalka, Amba etc in the form of flat vertical rectangular plaques crowned by fluted triple arches within which an image of a deity modelled in deep relief is placed.

Such images are made by the Maru potters of Molela who claim that the task of making the original relief image of Dev Narayan was assigned to one of their ancestors more than seven generation ago. The potters believe that Dev Narayan appeared to the ancestor in his dream in the form of a shadow asking him to make his images. Since "shadow corresponds to relief", the images are in the form of relief on plaques.

The image shown here is that of the goddess Durga or Narsingi (lion-tiger goddess), riding a lion. Such images serve the dual function of an object of worship as well as a votive object.