Child-Saint Sambandar front view

India, state of Tamil Nadu, Chola dynasty,
12th century
Bronze
Purchase F1976.5

This delightfully plump, dancing child is dynamic from every angle. Born in the seventh century in a south Indian town, Sambandar sang his first devotional verse as a young child in a temple courtyard. After a golden cup of milk miraculously appeared in his hand, he explained its source by pointing upwards, the gesture seen here, towards an image of the goddess Parvati. The child-saint's four thousand verses are still sung today, and his image is honored within all major south Indian temples devoted to Shiva.