Air (Bayu)
Bayu literally translates as ‘wind’, after the most easily perceived manifestation of this invisible element. The word also refers to the sky and heavenly realms where its extraordinary inhabitants include bidadari, the celestial female dancers and musicians who perform tasks on behalf of the gods.
Garuda, half-man and half-bird, is the sky-borne vehicle of Lord Wisnu who incarnated as Rama. He assembles an alliance of monkeys and other forest creatures in order to rescue his beautiful wife, Sita, from the evil sorcerer King Rawana here represented by his vehicle and cohort, the demon raksasa Wilmana [collection no. 1]. Today’s Rama’s actions are often interpreted as a love story, but it was Rama’s desire to conform to the dharma, the path of right action, not simply romance that inspired his heroism.