Ashtadhatu (), also called octo-alloy, is an alloy comprising the eight metals of gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, tin, iron, and mercury,Social, Cultural, and Economic History of Himachal Pradesh. Manjit Singh Ahluwalia. Indus Publishing. 1998 p. 163. often used for casting metallic idols for Jain and Hindu temples in India.
The composition is laid down in the Shilpa Shastras, a collection of ancient texts that describe arts, crafts, and their design rules, principles and standards. Ashtadhatu is used because it is considered sattivik (virtuous or pure) in Hinduism, and does not decay, and it is also restricted to the production of images for the deities Kubera, Vishnu, Krishna, Rama, Kartikeya, and the goddesses Durga and Lakshmi.
In its traditional composition, all eight metals are in equal proportion (12.5% each).
See also
References