Recumbent bull, anonymous, c. 1000 - c. 1200
All the gods in the Hindu pantheon have animal mounts that share character traits with their riders. Shiva’s mount is a bull, the symbol of power and virility. This bull is richly decked out as befits an animal ridden by a deity. It was probably positioned in a small pavilion facing the main temple, with its head pointing towards the deity.