Seated on the tiger skin is the androgynous form of Shiva where his left half is female and the right half is male. The left half represents Shakti in the form of Parvati and the right half Shiva. Whereas Parvati is the cause of the arousal of Kama - the desires, Shiva is the killer of Kamadeva - the god of desires. Parvati wears a pointed crown, Shiva rests peacefully in jatamukuta; his simplicity in dress and accoutrements is in contrast to her finery. On one hand, Ardhanarishvara incorporates a synthesis of opposites and on the other, integrates the opposites to show that they complement each other.
With the intention of keeping the beauty of the image intact, the artist does not clutter the background. Flat indigo covers the upper half and the lower half has muddy brown with Nandi the bull prominently placed in the foreground.
This description by Renu Rana.
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