page_title: Kankalamurti
hierarchical_section_title: Kankalamurti
caption_attribution_description: English: Kankalamurti, Nayak Palace Art Museum, Thanjavur. TN, INDIA
context_page_description: Kankala-murti, also known as Kankala or Kankala-Bhairava, is an iconographical form of the Hindu god Shiva. He is often associated with a fearsome aspect of Shiva, Bhairava and thus considered the latter's aspect too. Kankalamurti is popular in South Indian temples of Shiva, but almost unknown in North India. He is described in legends to have defeated and slain Vishnu's army-chief and gate-keeper Vishvaksena or Vishnu's avatar Vamana. He is depicted as a four-armed man with a kankala-danda in his hand and followed by demonic attendants and love-sick women.
context_section_description: Kankala-murti ("One with the skeleton"), also known as Kankala ("skeleton") or Kankala-Bhairava, is an iconographical form of the Hindu god Shiva. He is often associated with a fearsome aspect of Shiva, Bhairava and thus considered the latter's aspect too.  Kankalamurti is popular in South Indian temples of Shiva, but almost unknown in North India. He is described in legends to have defeated and slain Vishnu's army-chief and gate-keeper Vishvaksena or Vishnu's avatar Vamana. He is depicted as a four-armed man with a kankala-danda (skeleton-staff) in his hand and followed by demonic attendants and love-sick women.
caption: Kankalamurti, Darasuram (12th century), currently in Thanjavur Maratha Palace museum, Thanjavur
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