Four-armed Shaiva figure in the Government Museum at Sikar
Four-armed Shaiva figure in the Government Museum at Sikar
Description:
This Shaiva figure was possibly part of a devakostha or sculptural niche placed on the walls of a now-lost Shaiva shrine. It is now housed in the Government Museum, Sikar. The four-armed seated figure holds a trident and a staff in the upper two hands, while the lower two hands are considerably damaged. The figure is ithyphallic, symbolizing the Urdhvareta aspect of Shiva, indicating mastery over the vital energies through ascetic vigour. It is plausible that this image represents Lakulisha, the preceptor of the Pashupata tradition. The Harshnath Temple’s history clearly indicates that the temple was under the control of and likely erected by ascetics of the Lakulisha-Pashupata tradition. Therefore, the depiction of Lakulisha on the temple walls comes as no surprise.
Image courtesy: The Government Museum, Sikar
Location:
Sikar
Date_accepted:
2024-05-13T12:16:54Z
Modified:
2024-05-14T13:39:01Z
Type:
Image
Creator:
Temples of India Project Team
Contributor:
Anchit Jain
Publisher:
Jio Institute
Rights:
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
References:
Rajasthan, Shakambhari Chahamanas , Temples of India, Harshnath Temple, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and Sikar