Important Notice

Granite
13th Century

Chola Dynasty
Tamil Nadu

Height: 43.3 in (110 cms)



Bhairava is a powerful form of Lord Shiva. In this Chola sculpture, he is seen in his usual four handed form. His upper left hand holds the pasa (noose) whilst the upper right is missing in this sculpture. His lower right hand bears a trident as the lower left holds a begging bowl which is symbolic of this form. His matted locks flow out gracefully. A choker necklace adorns his neck. A dog can be seen standing behind him. It is interesting to note that even the teeth of the dog are carefully carved. This sculpture is well modeled with good clarity. Fangs protrude from below the lips to ward off enemies. The body is naked and bereft of clothes.

The Story of Bhairava

Brahma once created a celestial being unsurpassed in beauty. But he himself was so enchanted with her looks that he began eyeing her lustfully. He used all his three heads to eye her as she tried to move away in various directions. Finally as she moved skywards Brahma created a fifth head to gaze at her. As this was an incestful act it angered Shiva who chopped off Brahma's fifth head in a rage. However as Brahma is the creator, this act of Shiva amounted to Brahmicide, a great sin. To atone for this sin Shiva had to take the form of a wandering ascetic and beg for alms until his sin got expiated. The iconography is four handed with flaming locks that adorn the crown. A street mongrel followed Shiva when he went begging. This dog is also shown in sculptural representations. Another similar iconography is that of Bhikshatanamurty wherein he is shown wearing large wooden sandals.

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