Title
Bhikshatana Shiva
Year/Period
Late 11th century
Region
Chola, Tamil Nadu, south India
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: H108.5 x W59.0 x D20.5 cm
Accession No.
2000-03945
Collection of
Credit Line
Purchased with funds from Singapore Reinsurance Corporation Ltd and India International Insurance Pte Ltd
This is a late 11th century Chola granite sculpture of Bhairava or Bhikshatana standing with a dog. The four-armed deity carries a trishula (trident) and kapala (skull cup) in his lower two hands while a damaru (drum) and a snake in the upper two. The hair of this deity is matted and tied up while the flame-like locks adorn a crescent moon. The image of Shiva as Bhairava is totally naked and as a mendicant he is seen begging for food from the rishipatnis, wives of the seers. The dog is an animal associated with Bhairava because of its nature of scavenging human flesh.
