Ishana, deity of the northeast

The Hindu Deity Shiva

Shiva is the supreme deity for many Hindus. His divine personality is very complex and embodies contradictions. In these sculptures and others in Galleries 1 and 4, the great god is shown as a family man, a conqueror of demons, a fierce or gentle ascetic, or, more abstractly, as the Absolute embodied in a pillar-like phallic emblem.

Shiva is conventionally represented with certain physical characteristics that convey various aspects of his divine power, such as a third eye in the middle of the forehead, and four or more arms. He usually appears as a yogi, or ascetic, with the long dreadlock-like locks of his hair tied on top of his head. He sometimes wears a crescent moon or skull at the front of his hairdress. He is also associated with certain animals (snakes, and his faithful mount, the bull Nandi), and may carry identifying objects such a trident, an axe, an antelope, or a small drum.

Not all of these characteristics and attributes are shown in every image of Shiva. Some are particular to a certain form of the god, and the popularity of others varies by region.

Ishana is the deity associated with the northeast direction. Depictions of the guardian deities of the eight directions (east, southeast, etc.) were often placed near the corners of Hindu temples. They symbolically protected the temple as well as projecting its sacred power to all parts of the world.

With two of its four arms holding a trident and a snake, this figure would seem to be the Hindu deity Shiva,  who often carries these emblems. The bull at the figure’s feet also suggests the bull that accompanies Shiva.  Ishana is distinguished from Shiva, though, by the gesture of his lower right hand and the water jug he carries in his lower left.