Nandaka or Vishnu’s sword, south-west India. Kinked ritual blade with dangling rattles attached and crude diamond motif on inside of blade. Bell pommel with dangling rattles attached. Wooden handle. The guard looks to be early, perhaps eighteenth century but such swords are difficult to date. The blade looks to be late nineteenth or early twentieth century. This sword appears to be later than 1981.354.
Nandaka or Vishnu’s sword, south-west India. Kinked ritual blade with dangling rattles attached and crude diamond motif on inside of blade. Bell pommel with dangling rattles attached. Wooden handle. The guard looks to be early, perhaps eighteenth century but such swords are difficult to date. The blade looks to be late nineteenth or early twentieth century. This sword appears to be later than 1981.354. Nandaka swords were worshiped in south-west India as the vessel within which the goddess Bhagavati resides. Their blades are thin and adorned with rattles because they are required to vibrate on the temple floor, thus indicating that they have been inhabited by the goddess. They are not used to perform sacrifices. In Kerala they continue to serve a ritual purpose.
