Bharmour’s ferocious God

Strange and fierce is the half-man, half-lion figure.Four-armed,two clasped,two apart, like a savage dancer.Eyes wide open, mouth half-open and fangs showing.

The hands displaying the claws. Clasped under the chin along with the tense posture suggest as if he were waiting to spring and tear apart its victim any moment.The blood-shot eyes and the slavering mouth barely suppress the thirst for blood!

The huge lion-head is crowned and the flowing mane has a flaming halo.

This could be a figure from a nightmare.Instead it’s a highly artistic brass sculpture of Narasimhah, Vishnu’s terrible awe-inspiring reincarnation in Himachal Pradesh’s tribal Bharmour of Chamba.

Just over 3 feet high, the idol is said to be 1200 years old. Built by Tribhuvanreka Devi.

Even without the bones,skulls and weapons,the masterpiece evokes horror and mysterious tantric cosmic power.

Onlookers are reminded of dragon masks of China.The throne depicting rows of mountains and peaks reminds you of Central Asian sculptures.