A wave of gods and goddesses has flooded the Harn Museum of Art in a new exhibit of works from across the sea.
The art museum and the UF Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions collaborated to develop the exhibit, called "An Ocean of Devotion: South Asian Regional Worship Traditions."
The exhibit debuted in March and will run until October. Each item comes from the Harn's collection, and some have never been shown.
Vasudha Narayanan, UF religion professor and co-curator of the exhibit, said it is significant because art is central to Hindu culture.
All 32 objects on display represent Hindu deities and symbols ranging from the third century to the 20th century.
As Narayanan moved through the exhibit and explained the Hindu significance of each item, she smiled and referred to most pieces not as objects but as "little jewels."
She said the 13th century conch shell carved with images of the Hindu god Vishnu is one of her favorite pieces.
Vishnu means "all pervasive," and many pieces depict Vishnu holding the conch shell and the wheel of time in his hands to represent his ability to cross space and time, she said.
He appears in paintings, sculptures and statues throughout the exhibit.
"It's amazing to see the same theme interpreted by different people in different media from different time periods," Narayanan said.
She said the exhibit was made possible by art donors.
"They could have kept these pieces at home," Narayanan said. "But they chose to share them with the world."
Jason Steuber, the museum's curator of Asian art, said the exhibit has been the destination of school trips, university groups and professors.
Narayanan said she hopes to help the museum expand some Hindu-focused exhibits in the future.
