Use the links above to see more photos.

The Chola controlled southern India for centuries and Chola bronzes are prized for their beautiful detail and workmanship. In the small town of Swamimalai there are bronze-casters whose families, going back centuries, have been making these statues using the "lost wax" method.

This man is working on Meenakshi - a local name for the Goddess Parvati (Shiva's consort). A piece this size takes over a month to create, start to finish.