This enigmatic deity, seemingly Shaiva, has six heads and twelve hands. Although all hands are broken, one appears to hold an attribute in the form of a trident. The waist portion is buried in the earth. The headgear comprises a jata-mukuta on four of the heads on the sides, which is typically associated with Shiva, and kirita-mukuta on the front and back heads, typically associated with Vishnu. While five of the faces exhibit a fierce form, one appears benevolent. The Sadashiva form of Shiva has five faces- Ishana, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vamadeva, and Sadyojata, represented through fierce and benevolent face types. However, labeling this image as a clear syncretic mixture of Sadashiva and Vishnu is challenging because the kirita-mukuta is placed above the fierce image types as well. The image might have some tantric associations. The Harsha Hill once had a yogini shrine. An intriguing image of Shiva/Bhairav, now housed in the Government Museum, Sikar, depicts Shiva with four hands. The upper two hands hold a skull-scepter and cobras. His lower left hand is holding a cup, or more precisely, a skull, while the fingers of his right hand dip towards its contents. The combined iconography suggests strong tantric influences. Similarly, the six-headed image under discussion may also reflect similar tantric influences.
Location:
Sikar
Date_accepted:
2024-05-09T07:52:49Z
Modified:
2024-05-09T09:52:19Z
Type:
Image
Creator:
Temples of India Project Team
Contributor:
Anchit Jain
Publisher:
Jio Institute
Rights:
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
References:
Sikar, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Harshnath Temple, Rajasthan, Temples of India, and Shakhambari Chahamanas