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A. COMMON DEITIES

SIVA Vehicle : Bull Emblems : Trident, drum, axe, antelope
	Forms of Siva	NATARAJA the dancing Siva BIKSHATANA the naked beggar  SOMASKANDA with Parvati and son
	Sons of Siva	MURUGAN on a peacock with javelin GANAPATI with the elephant-head.
	Consort	PARVATI or UMA also called Sakti.

VISHNU Vahana:Kite Emblems : Conch, wheel
	10 Avatars (incarnations)	RAMA with bow and arrow. KRISHNA with flute or in other forms. BOAR, FISH, TORTOISE, LIONMAN, BUDDHA etc.
	Consort	LAKSHMI on lotus with elephants. BHUMADEVI the earth goddess; shown without breastband

SHAKTI Vahana : Lion and antelope

Different forms on buffalo head

KALI with Siva's emblems. DURGA with conch and wheel. MAHISHASURA MARDINI fighting with a buffaloheaded demon. KOTRAVAl early Dravidian deity.

MINOR DEITIES
	Vedic gods	BRAHMA in charge of creation SARASVATI his consort with veena MANMATA god of love on goose  RATI his consort on a parakeet HARIHARA Vishnu + Siva in one ARDHANARISWARA Parvati + Siva in one SURYA the sun with a halo NAVAGRAHA planets of the solar system GANGA on Siva's matted hair; R. Ganges ANJANEYAR in the form of a monkey
	Village gods	AIYANAR in a temple surrounded by huge clay horses; outside the village MARIAMMAN smallpox goddess OTHERS for plague, cholera etc.

THE BUDDHA with a 'bump' on the head & vertical line on left shoulder

Different Buddhas

DHYANA BUDDHA seated figure with hands in dhyana mudra. Buddhism was strong till the 7th century A.D. Virtually disappeared from Tamilnad around the 13th century. Relics can be seen at Kanchipuram.

JAIN SAINTS

24 Tirtankaras

PARSVANATHA with a seven-headed cobra. Jain ascetics are often shown naked. Jainism is now confined to small pockets in Tamilnadu.

Usually deities are shown with more than two hands. Worshipers are shown in Anjali mudra. Rishis (ascetics) are shown with a beard. Portraits of kings and queens can be seen at Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram.

B.Common Mudras (Gestures)
ABAYAMProtection	VARADA Giving	VIYAKYANA Teaching	ANJALI Worship	YOGA Meditating	KANDAGA Holding
C. Common Emblems
TRIDENT	LINGAM	DRUM	DEER	AXE	WHEEL	CONCH
D. Common Ornaments
Head Gear			Ear Ornaments
KRITA	KARANDA MAKUDA	JATA MAKUDA	PATRA KUNDALA	MAKARA KUNDALA	RATNA KUNDALA