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| Martanda Bhairava. Airavateswara Temple, Darasuram,facebook.com |
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| Martanda Bhairava sculpture, Darasuram, TN gud2travel.com/ |
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| Shiva as Martanda Bhairava, Darasuram temple, instagram.com |
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| Airavateswara Temple, Darasuram, en.wikipedia.org |
The Airavateswara Temple (a Unesco recognized World Heritage site) at Darasuram, near Kumbakonam of TamilNadu, a masterpiece built by the Chola king Rajaraja II in the 12th century, is celebrated for its remarkable sculptural brilliance carved in granite and soapstone. Among its rarest and most intriguing carvings is the monolithic stone sculpture of “Martanda Bhairava”, located on the Dakshina Bhitti (southern wall) of the Maha Mandapa. This nearly 900-year-old image is a significant indicator of the worship of Bhairava traditions in ancient Chola Nadu, a region where such depictions are far less common than in the Deccan.
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| Marthanda,en.wikipedia.org |
Above image:Bhairava is worshipped throughout India, Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Japan, as well as in Tibetan Buddhism. Bhairava represents the Supreme Reality, synonymous to Para Brahman and in Hinduism, Bhairava is also called Daṇḍapāni ("who holds the danda in hand"),to punish sinners.His vehicle is a dog". In Vajrayana Buddhism, he is portrayed as a fierce emanation of bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, and also called Heruka, Vajrabhairava, Mahākāla and Yamantak. en.wikipedia.org............
The sculpture portrays Martanda Bhairava in a dynamic and authoritative form. Known also as Dandapani, he holds the Khatvanga (a symbolic bone staff), the Trishula, and the Khadga, representing absolute power over evil forces. The very name Martanda connects him to the solar principle, signifying divine radiance, heat, and destructive brilliance. In the Deccan region—especially in Maharashtra and northern Karnataka—he is revered as Khandoba, believed to ride a spirited white horse with his consort Mahalsa seated behind him. This iconography is rooted in the legendary account from the Malhari Mahatmya of the Brahmanda Purana: the tale of Martanda Bhairava’s manifestation to destroy the demon brothers Malla and Mani, whose cruelty disrupted peace in heaven and on earth. Answering the plea of the Saptarishis, Shiva assumed the fierce solar form of Martanda Bhairava, while Parvati took the form of Martanda Bhairavi. Even Nandi transformed into a white horse, symbolizing unstoppable divine force.
In Shaivism, Bhairava represents Shiva’s fierce, protective, and annihilating dimension. Regarded as the guardian of sacred spaces, he removes fear, punishes evil, upholds dharma, and controls cosmic time (Kala Bhairava). There are traditionally believed to be 64 Bhairava forms, each guarding a direction of the universe. Martanda Bhairava is a major form worshipped for courage, protection, justice, and victory over adversaries.
Across India, numerous Bhairava temples are revered by devotees. Important shrines include the Kala Bhairava Temple in Ujjain, associated with Lord of Time; the Kashi Kala Bhairava Temple, Varanasi, protector of the sacred city; the Jejuri Khandoba Temple near Pune, the most famous seat of Martanda Bhairava; the Bhairavakona Temple in Andhra Pradesh; and the Bhairav temples of Chintpurni and Jwalamukhi in Himachal Pradesh.
The Martanda Bhairava sculpture of Darasuram remains an extraordinary and rare Chola-era testimony—combining fierce divinity, artistic depth, and enduring Shaivite devotion carved flawlessly in stone.
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2022/07/monolithic-martanda-bhairava-image-and.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhairava
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