His hands are in Anjali Mudra and his feet are shaped like the feet of a tiger, the bewildering saint in this bronze is Vyaghrapada (he who has the pada or feet of a Vyaghra or tiger).
According to the Tamil legends, the saint was responsible for collecting sacred flowers for Shiva at the Chidambaram temple. One day, during his task, he was stung by bees, and his legs were injured.
To soothe the pain of his devotee, Shiva bestowed on him the legs of a tiger, with which Vyaghrapada was given speed and strength.
Due to his spirit of self-sacrifice, Vyaghrapada is one of the closest devotees of Chidambaram Shiva, appearing in the iconography visible in this bronze, in the images of Shiva performing his divine Ananda-Tandava (dance of bliss).
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