Important Notice

KARNATAKA/KERALA
20TH CENTURY
Bronze
23.25 in (59.2 cm) high

Maisandaya or Nandikona, represents the power and spirit of the earth and is significant in agrarian communities.

Nandi is the vahana or mount of Shiva. He is depicted as a bull, though in South Indian iconography, he may assume a human form with the head of a bull. As the guardian of Kailash, the abode of Shiva and Parvati, Nandi represents virility, strength and fertility. He is worshipped widely across India, and is often seen at the entrances of Shaivite temples.

The Nandi is typically represented as Nandikesvara in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In areas such as coastal Karnataka and Mellakettu, Nandikesvara is the main deity, worshipped either as an elongated wooden bull, or an anthropomorphic standing figure with a bull's head. Along the Karnataka Kerala border, Nandi may be referred to as Maisandaya.

KARNATAKA/KERALA
20TH CENTURY
Bronze
23.25 in (59.2 cm) high

Maisandaya or Nandikona, represents the power and spirit of the earth and is significant in agrarian communities.

Nandi is the vahana or mount of Shiva. He is depicted as a bull, though in South Indian iconography, he may assume a human form with the head of a bull. As the guardian of Kailash, the abode of Shiva and Parvati, Nandi represents virility, strength and fertility. He is worshipped widely across India, and is often seen at the entrances of Shaivite temples.

The Nandi is typically represented as Nandikesvara in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In areas such as coastal Karnataka and Mellakettu, Nandikesvara is the main deity, worshipped either as an elongated wooden bull, or an anthropomorphic standing figure with a bull's head. Along the Karnataka Kerala border, Nandi may be referred to as Maisandaya.