MAISANDAYA BULL MASK
Origin: Bhuta/ Karnataka, 20th century
Material: Sand casting on bronze
Size: H-19.5 X L-18.5 X W-9.5 Inch’s
Weight: 3.7 Kg
Nandi (bull), it is the vahana (vehicle) of Shiva - the god of skies & destruction. Shiva with Nandi is one of the oldest forms of Hindu representation - dating before 3000 BC. The Nandi is typically represented as Nandikesvara in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In areas such as coastal Karnataka and Mellakettu, Nandikesvara is the main deity, worshipped either as an elongated wooden bull, or an anthropomorphic standing figure with a bull's head. Along the Karnataka Kerala border, Nandi may be referred to as Maisandaya.