Balaskandha, The Youthful Skanda
Not on view
Skanda, the Hindu god of war, is worshipped under many names, as Kartikeya and Kumara especially in northern India, and as Murugan and Subramanyan in the south. The oldest son of Shiva and Parvati, he is nonetheless often depicted as a child, as here. He holds a golden spear and is attended by his mount, the peacock, whose radiant tail feathers frame him in a glorious nimbus. Variants of this print were produced for devotees visiting the many sites sacred to Skanda, especially in Tamil Nadu. One such shrine is depicted at upper right, which may be the hilltop temple of Palani.
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