A human skull. In Hindu art, a skull is
often carried by the god Shiva, who uses
it as a vessel to hold his food and drink.
As with many of Shiva’s attributes, such
as the snakes he wears as jewelry and
the ash from the cremation ground with
which he smears his body, the skullbowl is a sign of Shiva’s untamed nature
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Kanyakubja
The city of Kanyakumari, at the confluence of the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Bay of Bengal.
and his aloofness from the standards
and concerns of everyday life. Use of a
skull-bowl has also been adopted by
some Shaiva ascetics, both past and
present, in imitation of this myth. The
skulls are usually taken from cremation
grounds; the upper skull is separated to
be made into a bowl.