Bronze figure from the Government Museum Chennai.

Description

Ayyanar riding on an elephant with four tusks is a rare feature. This is to show that Ayyanar is elevated to the mainstream of Hindu pantheon. Cast separately from his elephant mount, Ayyanar wears three saivite symbols in his hair, which is spread out; a snake on the left, a skull in the centre and a crescent moon on the right.

Holding a lotus flower in its trunk, the elephant is elaborately decorated with lotus medallions on the top of its head and a kirtimukha on his fore knees.

A small figure of an attendant is seen behind him.1

Informations

Acc. No.: 317

Century: 16th CE

Place of discovery: Thogur

Taluk: Thiruvaiyaru

District: Undivided Thanjavur

State: Tamil Nadu

Country: India

Exhibition Location: Government Museum Chennai

Breadth: no information about the breadth

Height: 57 cm

Weight: no information about the weight

Pictures

Ayyanar on elephant

Ayyanar on elephant

Map

  1. Sridhar, Dr. T. S.; Vasanthi, Dr. S.; Balasubramaniam, R.: An Exhibition on Chola Bronzes – 1000th Anniversary of Thanjavur Big Temple Celebration, 2011, Page 21, Plate No.: 17 ↩