Svachchhanda Bhairavi

This is the unique bronze image of five headed and ten armed Devi, Svachchhanda Bhairavi from Chamba in Himachal Pradesh. She is seated in lalitasana on the shoulders of a four armed male figure, identified as Siva, who is seated crossed legs on a lotus mounted on an inscribed pedestal. Four heads of Devi face the four cardinal directions and the fifth is placed on top. In her right hands, she holds the sword, lotus, trident and skull while in the left hands she holds a goad, noose, a manuscript and a pot. One pair of her hands displays the abhaya and varadamudra. She is adorned with various ornaments. With two rear hands, her vahana supports the goddess, while the front two are in anjalimudra. He is looking up towards the goddess. An aureole of issuing flames is shown around these figures. On either side of the lotus on pedestal two human figures are shown, one seated in dhyana and the other is in anjalimudra. On both sides of the pedestal, Ganesha and Karttikeya, riding their mounts, in agressive posture. Another figure is seated in anjalimudra in front of the Kirttikeya.