Subject: Brahma, profile: Brahma is in charge of carrying out the work of creation. In this sculpture he has the attributes associated with his priestly appearance, the prayer beads and the kamandalu or ritual water jar and his matted dreadlocks are piled on his head. Four arms connote superhuman power, and four heads convey the idea that his creative activities spread in all four directions. Brahma featured regularly in one of the three central niches on the exterior sanctum walls of the earliest Chola temples.

Subject: Durga, Mahisamardini, standing

Subject: Bhairava: Bhairava is considered to be one of the violent forms of Shiva. He is so called as he protects the universe (bharana) and is also terrific (bhishana). He carries sula (trident), pasa (noose), damaru (drum) and kapal in his four hands and rides a dog. He is shown nude with a third eye and hair of flames.

Subject: Virabhadra: Virabhadra is a form of Shiva, who created was created as his emissary in his fight with Daksha, the goat-headed figure and his father-in-law. Shiva took this form when Daksha had refused to render him offerings when performing a great yajna (sacrifice). When his consort Sati was not welcomed at her fathers house, she committed suicide in shame. On hearing about Satis tragic death, Shiva transformed himself into a giant (Virabhadra) with several heads and many arms and destroyed the yajna in order to avenge his wifes death. Virabhadra carries Shivas standard attributes of the drum and trident in his back two hands. Virabhadra was widely worshipped in the villages of south India.

Subject: Vishnu, standing

Subject: Agni: Agni is the fire-god of Hinduism. Here he sits in Utkutika Asana with a yogapatta, the thick band holding his legs.

Subject: Candikesvara: An interesting facet of Hinduism on the Tamil-speaking region of south India is the emphasis given to the worship of sixty-three Shaiva saints called nayanmars. The Shaiva saints who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries, were part of a community of holy persons who travelled together across the Tamil countryside, stopping to sing the glories of the deity enshrines at each temple. Through the hymns of the saints, the figure of the distant godhead was humanized. Candikesvara, born as Vicharasarman, was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva when he was a boy. Each day as he tended his cows, he would use some of the milk for ritual lustration of a mud linga that he worshipped devoutly. Candikesvara's father reproached Candikesvara for the misuse of the milk and in anger kicked the mud linga. Candikesvara lashed out with his cowherd staff which miraculously turned into Shiva?s sacred axe, felling his father to the ground. This spur of the moment reaction pleased Shiva immensely and he made Candikesvara the principal guardian of Shiva?s properties. During the Chola period, Candikesvara acquired a new role as guardian and supervisor of Shiva temples. As Chola monarchs started to convert, a supervising agent was needed to ensure the sanctity of the shrine. Therefore an image of Candikesvara as divine supervisor was placed within the grounds of the Shiva temple. Additionally the Chola rulers perhaps identified themselves with the devotee. The saint is shown seated on a horizontal base in the lalitasana posture. His right hand holds an axe.

Subject: Dakshinamurti: Shiva as a teacher of yoga, music and other sciences is known by the name of Dakshinamurti.

Subject: Ardhanarishvara: The composite figure of Shiva where he is depicted as half male and half female to indicate the shiva-shakti relationship of the unified whole. The right half represents Shiva, while the left half represents Parvati. Shiva has the matted locks piled high on his head. Parvati's side has a jeweled crown, earring, full breast, broad hips, long skirt, and only one arm. Shiva is sitting in the pose of royal ease (lalitasana).

Subject: Durga, standing

Subject: Ardhanarishvara: The composite figure of Shiva where he is depicted as half male and half female to indicate the shiva-shakti relationship of the unified whole. The right half represents Shiva while the left half represents Parvati. Shiva has the matted locks piled high on his head. Parvati's side has a jeweled crown, earring, full breast, broad hips, long skirt, and only one arm.

Subject: Bhiksatana: Shiva’s manifestation as Bhiksatana (Enchanting Mendicant) represented with an alms bowl in hand has strong appeal in southern India. The four-armed Shiva is shown naked with a serpent knotted around him to serve as a loincloth. Another serpent peeps out of his matted hair, which is adorned with the crescent moon and arranged in an elaborate halo-like formation around his head. Shiva is shown naked, bedecked in jewelry and sacred threads tied round his body. On his feet he is wearing a pair of toe-knob sandals (paduka) as suits his mendicant status.

Subject: Ardhanarishvara: The composite figure of Shiva where he is depicted as half male and half female to indicate the shiva-shakti relationship of the unified whole. The right half represents Shiva while the left half represents Parvati. Shiva has the matted locks piled high on his head and leans on his mount, the bull. Parvati's side has a jeweled crown, earring, full breast, broad hips, long skirt, and only one arm.

Subject: Devotees before Shivalinga: The Shivalinga is an abstract embodiment of the Lord Shiva.

Subject: Nataraja, back: The Shiva Nataraja combines Shiva's roles as creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe in a single image and conveys the notion of never-ending cycle of time. Although it appeared in sculpture as early as the fifth century, its present, world-famous form evolved under the rule of the Cholas. Shiva is shown dancing within a flaming halo (prabha mandala) which represents Time and which is shown as a circle to symbolize it cyclic nature. Shiva holds in his upper right hand the damaru (hand drum that made the first sounds of creation). His upper left hand holds agni (the fire that will destroy the universe). With his lower right hand, he makes abhayamudra (the gesture that allays fear). The dwarfish figure being trampled by his right foot represents Apasmara Purusha (illusion, which leads mankind astray). The dance that Shiva is performing is the Tandava. This is the back view of the image.

Subject: Vishnu, seated

Subject: Yashoda with Krishna: Vasudeva, a mythological king, had several wives including Rohini and Devaki. After Devaki's wedding, her brother Kamsa had a premonition that her eighth son would kill him. Kamsa killed Devaki's first six children and during Devakai's seventh pregnancy, Vishnu transferred the embryo to Rohini?s womb in order to prevent the child?s murder and when the child was born it was called Balarama. Then Vishnu allowed himself to be conceived in Devaki and the Goddess of Sleep and Night to be conceived in Yashoda, wife of the cowherd Nanda, both of whom looked after Rohini in their country retreat. Vishnu was now Devakai's eighth son whom Kamsa had sworn to kill. By his power, Vishnu arranged that Devaki and Yashoda give birth at the same time so at the time of the birth the babies could be exchanged. Thus Vishnu was born as Krishna and was brought up by Yashoda and Nanda and Vasudeva and Devaki pretended that their eighth child was a daughter.

Subject: Yashoda with Krishna: Vasudeva, a mythological king, had several wives including Rohini and Devaki. After Devaki's wedding, her brother Kamsa had a premonition that her eighth son would kill him. Kamsa killed Devaki?s first six children and during Devakai's seventh pregnancy, Vishnu transferred the embryo to Rohini?s womb in order to prevent the child?s murder and when the child was born it was called Balarama. Then Vishnu allowed himself to be conceived in Devaki and the Goddess of Sleep and Night to be conceived in Yashoda, wife of the cowherd Nanda, both of whom looked after Rohini in their country retreat. Vishnu was now Devakai's eighth son whom Kamsa had sworn to kill. By his power, Vishnu arranged that Devaki and Yashoda give birth at the same time so at the time of the birth the babies could be exchanged. Thus Vishnu was born as Krishna and was brought up by Yashoda and Nanda and Vasudeva and Devaki pretended that their eighth child was a daughter. This is the back view of the image.

Subject: Shivakamasundari: Parvati stands on a lotus pedestal over a square Bhadra Sana, has a karandamakuta (crown resembling a basket) on her head. She wears makara kundalas in her ears. Her left hand is in lolasana (pendant pose).

Subject: Subrahmanya: Skanda as Subrahmanya is the South Indian god of war. Skanda has one head and four arms, holding ritual weapons-head of a spear and a thunderbolt in his upper hands. The lower two hands are held in abhaya (gesture of fearlessness) and varada (favorable mudra) mudra.

Subject: Subrahmanya: Skanda as Subrahmanya is the South Indian god of war. Skanda has one head and four arms, holding ritual weapons-head of a spear and a thunderbolt in his upper hands. The lower two hands are held in abhaya (gesture of fearlessness) and varada (favorable mudra) mudra. This is the back view of the sculpted image.

Subject: Sridevi: The figure is a representation of Goddess Sri, the consort of Lord Vishnu distinguished by her breast band. She stands with her left leg slightly flexed; this causes her right hip to sway and is known as the abhanga pose. Sridevi wears a striped and patterned lower garment that drapes around her legs. This figure of Sridevi is affixed to a circular lotus pedestal, which was cast as one piece. The pedestal is mounted onto a rectangular base that has two prongs to enable this figure to be carried during ceremonial or religious processions.

Subject: Bhudevi: One of Vishnu's consorts is Bhudevi or Goddess Earth, also known as Bhu Lakshmi, whom he rescued from the depths of the cosmic ocean in his incarnation as the great boar, Varaha.

Subject: Bhudevi: One of Vishnu's consorts is Bhudevi or Goddess Earth, also known as Bhu Lakshmi, whom he rescued from the depths of the cosmic ocean in his incarnation as the great boar, Varaha. This is the back view of the sculpted image.