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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. |
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 |
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C. Common Emblems | |||||||
TRIDENT |
LINGAM |
DRUM |
DEER |
AXE |
WHEEL |
CONCH |
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D. Common Ornaments | |||||||
Head Gear | Ear Ornaments | ||||||
KRITA |
KARANDA MAKUDA |
JATA MAKUDA |
PATRA KUNDALA |
MAKARA KUNDALA |
RATNA KUNDALA |
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