Description: Murugan, also known as Karthikeyan or Subramanya, is worshipped widely in South India and in several parts of southeast Asia. He is a youthful, warrior god depicted with his spear (vel) and a symbol of his vahana, the peacock, is on the staff he holds. In this composition the artist has depicted Murugan in his rajalankaram (royal dress), wearing fine silk clothes and a bejewelled turban. This unusual representation is one of the many forms in which Murugan is worshipped.
This unusual composition is in traditional Tanjore style, with a single, beautifully adorned subject in a fully frontal pose, standing within a rich stone-studded prabhavali.
