This bronze 'mandorla' is known as 'parikara' or 'prabha' (aureole). The oval shape parikara has ten dwarf-like pot-bellied 'bhairava-type' figures (Shiva as his most malevolent aspect) standing on lotus pedestals. The dwarves carry auspicious weapons used in Tantric Buddhism in their right hands and hold the left in 'tarjani mudra' (pointed index finger).Parikara refers to the large mandorla which covers the entire body of a divine figure. It is the effulgence or rays of light emitted from their being. This convention applies to all Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina figures. The parikara are cast separately and are usually detachable. Often, new ones are added to old metal statues, including the lotus bases.
