Ten Headed, Twenty Armed King of Sri Lanka
Detail from a wall painting in the town of Sibi, Karnataka
Rawana is a very interesting (visually and otherwise) character from the Hindu mythology of Ramayan. He has ten heads (but only one throat, as my grandpa would always say), multitude of arms and presents quite a challenge to the artist.
Point to ponder: The artist has depicted the king as naked, even though he (or she, artist unknown, apprx. 18th century) has taken pains to put a crown on each of the heads.
See Also:
• Rawana in Indian Art
• Paintings of Sibi
