The beauty of Saraswati is tenfold the beauty of all the devices of the Hindu pantheon put together. Wife of Lord Brahma, Herself the deity of learning and aesthetics, Devi Saraswati is the proverbial fairest of them all. In the murti of Her that you see on this page, She is seated on a high plinth of multiple tiers. Her long legs are gathered in lalitasana and Her hands are poised strategically upon the neck and belly of the sweet-sounding veena. The style of this composition is very Southern. The long, slender form of the Devi is clad in layers upon layers of gold jewelry. From the choker at the highest point of Her neck to the anklet on Her feet, each element of Her shringar accentuates Her superb bone structure. However, the thing about Saraswati is this: beyond the gossamer beauty is an ethereal, almost musical, presence that no other deity can match.