Gajalakshmi

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Lakshmi’s eighth form is Gajalakshmi. She is seated on a lotus flower as the elephants of eight cardinal directions shower her. Vishnu Purana says that as she emerged from the ocean, elephants from the eight quarters came with gold vessels with pure water and bathed her.  Since she was seated in the midst of elephants showering her, she was called by the eponym Gajalakshmi (elephant-Lakshmi).

It is a long tradition to worship her as a Resident-in-Light.  Placing the Gajalakshmi form in the middle of Pirapai (Ornamental arch and halo) in the lamp. 

 
பிரபை¹ Pirapai  (=திருவாசி =Tiruvaasi), n. < pra-bhā. 1. Light, radiance, brightness, lustre;  2. Nimbus, halo, aureole over the head of a deity; .
Sanka (சங்கம்) treatises have references to Gajalakshmi. Old coins have engraved images of Gajalakshmi. She appears in North Indian coin impressions to hold conch, bird…The elephants shower water on the conch and the bird. In many South Indian Temples, the birds are portrayed to be sitting on the lotus flowers.  

Though Puranas depict eight elephants shower her; in portrayal, only two elephants shower her. Gajalakshmi grants grace by holding lotus flowers in the upper hands and Abhaya-Varada (No-Fear & Grant Boon) pose in the lower hands.  See the Image in the beginnign of the article, of Gajalakshmi's Tanjore painting on your right.  Ref: Sakti Vikatan