This is a Jain image of Padmavati and she is one of the most worshipped goddesses of Jainas. Here Padmavati is shown with four hands. She is holding a container or fruit, wheel/noose and goad in her hands, clockwise starting from lower right hand.  Her lower left hand is in Abhaya mudra. Padmavati is identified by a canopy of a hooded snake upon her crown.

Padmavati is the Sasanadevata, female messenger of Thirthankaras, of Parasvanatha, the twenty-third Tirthankara of Jains. Sasanadevatas normally have their Thirthankara shown along with them, as it is the case here. Note the small Jain image sitting on the hood of a three-hooded snake. Parasvanatha is also identified by his association with a snake and in this example, a five-hooded snake is providing the canopy.

The main image is fixed back-to-front on the pedestal. There are inscriptions on all four side, one of the typical characteristics of Jain sculptures.

This bronze is about 12.5 cm in height and is quite worn from rituals of worship. This may be from Gujarat, Western India and the inscriptions (includes some Gujarati numerals, see the photo of the back) should help in deciding the age. As Jains follow more than one eras, deciding the age is one for the experts.

Manasa, snake goddesses, is considered to be Padmavati’s counterpart from Hindu religion. Manasa is also known as Padmavati.

Just to make it more interesting, Padmavati is the name of Lakshmi, seated in lotus posture as she emerged from the ocean, when it was churned by Gods and demons for the sake of ambrosia.

This is one of the very few Jain bronzes I have and my awareness of Jain bronzes is very low. For this blog, I depended heavily of Pratima Kosha by S K Ramachandra Rao.