Chandrashekhara Murti is one of the <em>vigraha</em> (form) of Lord Shiva. This fantastic copper idol of Chandarshekhara Murti is four armed and adorned with crown and rich jewellery. Shiva is seen four armed. He holds <em>parashu</em> (axe) and <em>mrig</em> (deer) in his upper two hands and his lower right and left hands are posed in <em>abhaya</em> (fearlessness granting) and <em>varada</em> (boon granting) respectively. <br> <br><strong>There is an interesting story about the <em>mrig</em> that Shiva bears:</strong> When Daksha, Shiva ’s father-in-law did not invite Shiva to a <em>yajna</em> (Vedic ritual) purposely to humiliate him, Shiva ’s wife Sati went to the site of <em>yajna</em> and demanded an explanation from her father. Daksha further insulted Shiva and unable to bear this, Sati immolated herself by jumping in the fire of <em>yajna</em>. Enraged at this Shiva had Daksha ’s ritual destroyed and when he aimed at <em>yajna</em> itself, it assumed the form of a deer and tried to leave the arena. Shiva caught <em>yajna</em> and bore it thereafter as one of his attributes. The copper idol stands on a lotus pedestal.
