Image title: Bhairava and Consort

Bhairava and Consort [Roof bracket; 17th century]—Bhairava, a fierce manifestation of Shiva, embraces his spouse beneath a tree occupied by birds and Apsarasas ("angels"). Bushy-browed and with bristling hair, Bhairava manifests his frightful nature through his serpent earrings and sash, skull decorated crown, a garland of severed human heads, and a ritual apron made of human bone. On his legs are dancers’ bells known as ghamgala such as Nepali male dancers still wear at festivals. in a Beneath the pair Shiva, identified by trident and double-headed drum, rides with his spouse chariot enveloped by a huge serpent and drawn by four half-human, half-animal creatures. They are guided by a three-headed deity holding their reins in one hand, a rosary and book in others, and displaying the "fear not" gesture. Above the guide Shiva's symbolic bull crowns a standard and a parasol-bearing attendant follows behind. The chariot wheels enclose unidentified seated figures. They may be Bhairava himself, a symbol of locomotive force painted on the wheels of chariots used in contemporary Nepali festivals.

Gallery information:

The Patan Museum is located on the Durbar square of Patan (Lalitpur/Lalitapura, Kathmandu, Nepal) which is associated Keshav Narayan Chowk (Keshavnarayan)—a form of Lord Vishnu. Being listed as a World Heritage Site, the whole of Durbar square is filled with exquisite temples, sculptures and other ancient structures, of which the ancient history history can be traced to the Malla Kings of Lalitpur. It is an important site for both Buddhism and Hinduism.