Four-armed attendant of the Hindu deity Shiva (gana) dancing

The great god Shiva is attended by a crew of attendants known as ganas. Though they are often portrayed as short and stocky, they can have varied physiques and features and are known for their tumultuous energy, whether dancing (as they frequently do), making music, frolicking, or fighting. Their chief is the elephant-headed god Ganesha (gana + isha = “lord of the ganas”).

Here, one gana seems to be engaged in a war dance, carrying in three of his four arms a club, a sword, and a shield. War dances—as martial arts, preparations for actual battle, or celebrations of victory—are frequently depicted in the visual arts, literature, and performing arts of the Indian cultural sphere.