I recently went to Mylapore at chennai to buy some Navarathri golu dolls and happened to see the above doll set.Its called Navagunjara set it seems.I never knew about it hence thought of sharing my knowledge and facts about this doll and the story.
According to the legend, after the Mahabharata war, Arjuna was traveling through a forest. There, he encountered a mysterious creature unlike anything he had ever seen. It had the body made up of nine different animals, including a rooster, peacock, bull, elephant, lion, snake, deer, tiger, and horse (the exact combination varies by tradition). This extraordinary being was called the Navagunjara ("nava" means nine).
At first, Arjuna prepared to shoot an arrow, thinking it was a dangerous beast. But then he noticed that one of the creature's legs was a human arm holding a lotus, a symbol of divinity. Realizing this was no ordinary animal, Arjuna understood it was a divine manifestation of Krishna (or, in some traditions, Vishnu).
Arjuna immediately lowered his bow, offered prayers, and bowed before the divine form. The vision reminded him that God can appear in countless forms beyond human understanding and that humility and devotion are greater than pride or strength.
The symbolism of the Navagunjara
It represents the unity of all living beings.
It teaches that the Divine transcends ordinary appearances.
It reminds devotees to look beyond external forms and recognize the presence of God everywhere.
The Navagunjara is an important artistic and cultural symbol in Odisha and is frequently depicted in traditional paintings and temple art, especially in the Jagannath Temple tradition.
