Chaturmukha

Chaturmukha is a Sanskrit term meaning four-faced and is used in Hindu art and iconography to describe deities depicted with four heads. The most prominent example is Brahma, the creator god of the Hindu trinity, who is traditionally shown with four heads looking in the four cardinal directions. Each face is often interpreted as representing different aspects, such as the four Vedas or the spread of knowledge, though meanings can vary by tradition and context.

Beyond Brahma, the four-faced motif appears in various forms of Hindu iconography and may be used for other deities in sculpture and temple art. In such depictions, the four faces typically surround a central, often multi-armed figure, conveying ideas of universality, omniscience, or cosmic oversight. The motif can be presented in standalone images or integrated into larger temple scenes.

Architecturally, the term Chaturmukha is also applied to temple plans and pavilions designed with four openings or projecting faces, allowing access or sightlines from multiple directions. This architectural usage reflects the symbolic emphasis on completeness and directional reach that the four-faced concept conveys.

In scholarly discussions, Chaturmukha is treated as a descriptive motif rather than a single fixed iconographic form. It appears across regional traditions in medieval Indian sculpture and architecture, where it is valued for its symbolic breadth and navigational clarity in sacred space.

See also: Brahma (four-faced depictions), Hindu iconography, Hindu temple architecture, Four-faced deities.