Description: A remarkably bedecked Shiva is seen here with Parvati and his sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya. The divine family is depicted seated on an ornate platform under a richly decorated and draped mandapam. Shiva unusually wears jewellery and a garland here. He also wears a crown with a crescent on it. In his hands are the damaru (a small hourglass shaped drum) and a deer (the four legs of which symbolise the four Vedas). The lower left hand is in varada (blessing) mudra and the right hand embraces Parvati. Parvati is green skinned, symbolising fertility. She holds a lotus flower. Ganesha sits next to his father and hold his attributes, the ankusha (symbolizing control over one’s desires) and the pasa (symbolizing his power to capture ignorance and evil). Kartikeya, the youngest of the group, is seated on his mother’s lap holding his vel (spear) in one hand and the other lifted in abhaya. The benevolent gamily have offerings of modak (Ganesha’s favourite) and fruits at their feet and are accompanied by mushika, Ganesha’s vahana, Nandi, Shiva’s vahana, and the peacock, Kartikeya’s vahana.
This composition follows the Tanjore tradition of the main figure being the largest and the rest of the figures are progressively smaller in order of their importance, the style however is more modern in its choice of colors and details of figures and facial features.