Vetta Shasthav - Kerala Mural Archive

Detail Photos

Thalore, THL_P002 — Shasthav / Ayyappa (as hunter): detail view 1 of 6

Thalore, THL_P002 — Shasthav / Ayyappa (as hunter): detail view 2 of 6

Thalore, THL_P002 — Shasthav / Ayyappa (as hunter): detail view 3 of 6

Thalore, THL_P002 — Shasthav / Ayyappa (as hunter): detail view 4 of 6

Thalore, THL_P002 — Shasthav / Ayyappa (as hunter): detail view 5 of 6

Thalore, THL_P002 — Shasthav / Ayyappa (as hunter): detail view 6 of 6

Living Tradition · The Present Day

Deity: Shasthav Location: Thalore Mahadeva Temple Theme: Local tradition

Shasthav hunting a tiger. Blue-skinned Shasthav is seen atop a white horse engaged in hunting a tiger. He holds a spear in one hand and the reins of the horse in other. He is surrounded by tribal folk engaged in various activities.

Narrative

Textual Source: Bhagavata Purana
Mythological Tale: Vetta Shasthav or the hunting Shasthav is considered as the son born out of the union of Shiva and Vishnu in Mohini form. He is often interchangeably referred to as Ayyappa, the Panthala prince who was the adoptive son of Panthala king. He was asked to fetch tigress' milk from the forest by his mother as part of a conspiracy to get him killed. The childless Panthala raja adopted Ayyappa and treated him as his own son, but later when the queen gave birth to their biological son she resented adopting Ayyappa. So she conspired with a set of jealous courtiers and hatched this plan to murder Ayyappa. However, being a divine child, he murdered the demoness Mahishi and returned to his kingdom with a group of female tigers. This led to people recognizing Ayyappa's divinity and started worshipping him atop the Sabarimala. He is considered a celibate God but as Shasthav, he is said to have two wives and a son, Sathyakan.
Episode: Vetta Shasthavu

Iconography

Primary Deity/Figure: Shasthav / Ayyappa (as hunter)
Secondary Figures: Tribal men and one tribal woman. Several animals
Iconographic Form: Vetta Shasthav
Iconographic Attributes: Blue-skinned Shasthav is holding a spear in one of his hands and reins of his white horse in another. He is adorned in ornaments, wearing a saffron red upper garment and a crown.
Visual & Formal Features: Background pattern, Border pattern, Facial expression detail, Hand gesture (mudra), Ornamentation
Rasa: Veera

Spatial & Architectural

Temple: Sanctum
Zone within Temple: Sanctum
Position in Pradakshina Sequence: 2
Adjacent Panels: Shankaranarayanan, Gajendramoksham

Condition & Documentation

Condition: Good
Deterioration Type: Pigment loss
Restoration Status: Unrestored
Documentation Type: DSLR full panel
Permission Basis: Temple authorities
Date of Documentation: 22/08/2024
Artist: Senthil
Identifier: THL_P002
Rights / Notes: These images may not be reproduced, redistributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior permission.