Four-armed attendant of the Hindu deity Shiva (gana) with trumpet

The great god Shiva is attended by a crew of attendants known as ganas. Though they are often portrayed as short and stocky, they can have varied physiques and features and are known for their tumultuous energy, whether dancing (as they frequently do), making music, frolicking, or fighting. Their chief is the elephant-headed god Ganesha (gana + isha = “lord of the ganas”).

This four-armed gana cavorts while playing a curved trumpetlike instrument. Panels showing ganas such as these would have been part of a huge processional chariot carrying the image of a major deity through the streets during religious festivals.