Ashtadhatu (Sanskrit:अष्टधातु,romanized: Aṣṭadhātu,lit. 'eight metals'), also calledocto-alloy, is an alloy comprising the eight metals of gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, tin, iron, and mercury,[1][2] often used for casting metallicidols forJain andHindu temples in India.
The composition is laid down in theShilpa Shastras, a collection of ancient texts that describe arts, crafts, and their design rules, principles and standards. Ashtadhatu is used because it is consideredsattivik (virtuous or pure) inHinduism, and does not decay, and it is also restricted to the production of images for the deitiesKubera,Vishnu,Krishna,Rama,Kartikeya, and the goddessesDurga andLakshmi.[citation needed]
Its traditional composition, all eight metals are in equal proportion (12.5% each).[citation needed]
