Fascination towards carriers of Goddess Lakshmi

Kolkata, Mar 27: Owls may not be everyone's idea of an attractive bird, but Chandra Das of Orissa lives upto the adage of 'Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder' and feels that the bird is a 'rare beauty'. It is her fascination for owls that she has stocked up her house in Kolkata with various forms of the bird in every shape and size.

Das, who started collecting owl curios since 1984, has always harboured a fascination for the bird resulting in a vast collection of show pieces, jewellery, vases and sculptures that fill up her home. Famed for being considered the wisest birds in the animal kingdom, owls are considered a sign of ill omen in several parts of the world. Owls hold special place in mythology, as they are the carriers of Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi. "I started collecting the curios since 1984. Whenever I visit foreign countries, I collect owls. I always had a fascination for owls as they are the carriers of Goddess Lakshmi. Though the specie is considered ugly, I find in these birds a sweet beauty," she said. The collection has around 500 trinkets made from materials like terracotta, bronze, gold, clay, wax, wood, ceramic, crystal, gems and stone. Collected over a period of 23 years, the collection comprises eye-catching trinkets and jewellery from various countries like UK, US, Middle East and Greece amongst others.

ANI