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Hinduism, which worships Viṣṇu, Śiva, and goddesses as its main deities, has been active in India, inheriting many elements from the Vedic religion (Brahmanism) dating back to BCE. I specialize in Hindu iconography, studying the characteristics of these deities and interpreting their meanings. Religious art may be associated with austere images, but Hindu gods dance and enchant us with their dynamism. I have conducted fieldwork in India, mainly to investigate sculptures while analyzing related literary sources.
My research focuses on Harihara, a fusion of the principal male deities, Viṣṇu (Hari) and Śiva (Hara). The myths of Harihara are found in many texts as well as art and archaeological materials. The figure is represented by a single image of the deity split in half down the middle, with half of the body being Viṣṇu and the other half being Śiva. This study aims to reveal various aspects of early Hinduism by tracing the formation and development of the Harihara iconography and mythology in the ancient Indic world.