Category:Gajasurasamhara
form of Hindu god Shiva | |||||
Upload media | |||||
Instance of | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
![]() |
Gajasurasamhara or Gajantak, "The Slayer of the elephant demon", is a fierce aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as the destroyer of Gajasura – the demon (asura) who pretends to be an elephant (gaja).
The Gajasurasamhara legend appears in many Puranas, dated in the first half of the first millennium CE. The details of the legend vary by the text. All of them have three elements: a demon takes the deceptive form of elephant to approach his targets who are dedicated to Shiva, the Gajasura torments and kills his victims, Shiva gets really angry and kills Gajasura, then dances on the dead Gajasura head or hide. One variant is found in Kurma Purana states that the devotees of Shiva were Brahmins meditating around a Shiva linga, while other versions describe generic Shaiva devotees and that Parvati watches Shiva as he dances over Gajasura head with flayed skin. The flayed hide is symbolism for peeling off the demon's deception. (For further discussions: T.A. Gopinatha Rao, Elements of Hindu Iconography; also, Kurma, Shiva and other Puranas).
The oldest Hindu artwork of Gajantak with inscriptions is found in the 6th-century bas-relief on the mountain walls of Kalinjar Fort – a historic Shiva pilgrimage site. In centuries that followed, this iconography is found all over India. It is particularly popular in Pallava, Chola and Hoysala temples, which portray him dancing vigorously in the flayed elephant head or hide of Gajasura.
Subcategories
This category has the following 3 subcategories, out of 3 total.
Media in category "Gajasurasamhara"
The following 21 files are in this category, out of 21 total.
-
'Shiva, Slayer of the Elephant', wood carving from south India, 20th century, HAA.JPG 1,860 × 2,610; 757 KB
-
6th century Gajasursamharamurti and Parvati bas-relief, Kalinjar Fort 019.jpg 4,400 × 2,933; 3.58 MB
-
6th century Gajasursamharamurti and Parvati bas-relief, Kalinjar Fort 022.jpg 4,400 × 2,644; 3.7 MB
-
6th century Gajasursamharamurti and Parvati bas-relief, Kalinjar Fort 042.jpg 4,400 × 2,933; 3.27 MB
-
Clevelandart 1962.164.jpg 2,545 × 3,400; 1.71 MB
-
Gajasamharamurti.JPG 372 × 800; 108 KB
-
Gajasura Shiva.jpg 570 × 800; 354 KB
-
Gajasuradamana.jpg 900 × 1,231; 170 KB
-
Gajayuddha.JPG 1,672 × 2,064; 275 KB
-
Nataraja shiva halebid.jpg 330 × 581; 53 KB
-
Rajarajesvaram Temple 31-10a.jpg 642 × 1,037; 462 KB
-
Sculpture, Meenakshi Temple, Madurai (23) (36817105124).jpg 2,964 × 3,988; 6.57 MB
-
Shiva dansant dans la peau de l'éléphant, basalte Chola. Tanjavur Art Gallery.jpg 984 × 2,324; 1.57 MB
-
Thanjavur 079.jpg 2,448 × 3,264; 1.95 MB
-
The temple walls Halebid.jpg 1,600 × 1,200; 902 KB
-
Thiruparamkundram (29).jpg 2,448 × 3,264; 2.42 MB
-
Vazhuvur Gajasamharamurti.jpg 505 × 619; 173 KB