Kankaladhara

A form of the Hindu deity, Shiva, in which he is shown with a kankala-danda (a staff bearing the bones of a dead being). In iconographical representations, an ornamented Shiva is shown with his right leg bent, to suggest walking, and the kankala-danda held on his left shoulder. He is surrounded by women, bhutagana (his attendants), as well as sages, semi-divine beings and deities. This form is primarily found in southern India. A depiction of it can be found at the Gangaikondacolisvaram Temple in Tamil Nadu, India.