Kubera

This sandstone panel is carved in high relief with the figure of Kubera, the Hindu god of wealth. It was probably intended for a small village or wayside shrine. Here Kubera is seated in the attitude of ‘royal ease’, holding a long purse in his raised hand and a bowl of flowers in the other. His large, corpulent stomach is a sign of his prosperity and worldly comfort. His divine status is indicated by a nimbus (halo).

The panel belongs to the Gupta period (320-about 540 AD), when secondary deities such as Kubera assumed a secure place in the Hindu pantheon. The concept of Kubera as god of wealth also exists in a Buddhist context, where he is known as Jambhala.