Enigmatic six-headed Shiva

Temples of India Project Team

Enigmatic six-headed Shiva Öffentlichkeit Deposited

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.

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