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RELIGION & MYTHOLOGY

 

 

 

  Saivite

 

India

A Saivite is a follower of the Hindu god Shiva. This individual is holding Shiva's main attributes, i.e. a trident or trisula with a bando (fig.), a hourglass-shaped drum that represents creation, and the hooded snake, that Shiva displays over his shoulder (fig.) and which represents a brahman cord (fig.). On his forehead this devotee wears a pundra, a sectarian mark, but this is not a tri-pundra (fig.), the kind usually worn by Saivites and consisting of three horizontal lines (fig.).