Ardhanarisvara

Tiruvenkadu, Thanjavur District. Height 101 cm. About 11th Century AD.

As the name indicates, Siva is represented here as half-male and half-female, typifying the male and female energies. The right half represents Siva and the left Parvati. Siva has a jatamakuta with a crescent moon. He has three arms of which the lower arm rests on the back of the bull, his vehicle., and the upper right has an axe. The whole of the right side is adorned with ornaments peculiar to Siva. The right leg is bent and rests on the pedestal. The drapery is shown upto the knee. On the left side the image has a karandamakuta. The drapery is upto the anklets and her leg is slightly bent, resting on the pedestal. This image is referred to in an inscription in the temple at Tiruvenkadu.