Gajantaka or Gajasamhara is one of the ferocious forms of Shiva and is one of the well known forms of Shiva in South India. As per a tale in Kurma Purana, Shiva slayed Gajasura, the Elephant-demon, who attacked certain brahmins immersed in worshiping Shiva in Varanasi. <br> <br>To protect these devotees Shiva appeared from the lingam they were worshipping and killed Gajasura. Thereafter Shiva flayed its skin and wore it like a garment. He hence came to be known as <em>Krittivasa</em> or the one who wears elephant ’s hide. <br> <br>There is a famous temple dedicated to Shiva ’s form as Gajantaka in Valuvur or Vazhuvur in Tamil Nadu state of South India. There is an eight-armed idol of Shiva which is the chief deity of the temple. This is a fearsome form of Shiva and some South Indian texts describe as to how even Devi Parvati, Shiva ’s consort was both awe-stricken and scared seeing her lord in this unusual form. In some iconographies of Gajasamhara Parvati is seen holding her son Kartikeya and turning away from this fearsome for of Shiva. <br> <br>This magnificent statue is of that same eight-armed form of Shiva as Gajasamharamurti. Shiva is seen framed within the elephant-body of Gajasura. His four legs are seen on the frame around and tail on top. Shiva has one foot placed on the head of Gajasura and with two hands he is pulling on his skin. In his six arms he holds (clockwise) <em>naga</em> (snake), <em>khet</em> (shield), <em>kapaal bhikshapatr</em>a (begging bowl made of skull), <em>trishulam</em> (trident), <em>khadga</em> (sword), <em>damaru</em> (drum). <br> <br>Shiva ’s hair is set in <em>jatamandala</em> style in which hair is shown as a halo around the head. Our artists have invested great deal of skill and effort in creating this Shiva Gajantaka South Indian Chola Bronze Idol.
