Kankalamurti

thumb|upright|Kankalamurti, Darasuram (12th century), currently in [[Thanjavur Maratha Palace museum, Thanjavur]] Kankalamurti (Sanskrit: कङ्कालमूर्ति, romanized: Kaṅkālamūrti, lit."skeleton form"), also known as Kankala ("skeleton") or Kankala-Bhairava, is an iconographical form of the Hindu god Shiva. He is often associated with a fearsome aspect of Shiva, Bhairava, and also considered to be the latter's aspect. Kankalamurti is popular in South Indian temples of Shiva, but almost unknown in North India. He is described in legends to have defeated and slayed Vishnu's army-chief and gate-keeper Vishvaksena or Vishnu's avatar Vamana. He is depicted as a four-armed man with a kankala-danda (skeleton-staff) in his hand and followed by bhuta ganas (ghostly attendants) and love-sick women.

==Legend== thumb|upright|Kankalamurti depicted in a painting, 1842.