4. Gaja Lakshmi Worshipped as the “giver of animal wealth,” Gaja Lakshmi was traditionally of deep importance to farmers whose cows and bulls would provide dairy and till the land. Gaja, which means “elephant,” also signifies power and royalty, as elephants were regularly used by rulers of ancient India in warfare. Flanked on either side by a white male and female elephant, Gaja Lakshmi sits on a pink lotus and is depicted with four hands — one in Abhaya mudra, one in Varada mudra, and the other two holding lotuses. Satisfying the needs of those who earn their livelihood through the use of animals, Gaja Lakshmi’s blessings remind one of the great value such animals add to society, and how they should, therefore, not be tortured and exploited, but instead treated with love, care, and respect.