SOUTH INDIA, NAYAKA PERIOD, 17TH-18TH CENTURY

The Hindu god of war stands on a lotus base with his lower hands in abhayamudra and varadamudra, and upper hands holding a vajrayudha or thunderbolt, and a saktiayudha or an axe-like weapon. Subramanya, the son of the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati and the brother of Ganesha, is an important figure in South India, where he is often worshipped with forms of Shiva such as Somaskanda, Nataraja and Chandrashekhara. One of his most powerful attributes, the saktiayudha was given to him by his mother, Parvati to destroy the enemies of heaven.