Painting, in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, Shiva the heavenly ascetic and the patron god of the ascetics is shown as playing a tanpura (a musical instrument). He is wearing a tiger skin as his loin cloth and three cobras can be seen entangled in his dreadlocked hair. Shiva's stout upper torso is bare and he has been depicted with his third eye, but his other eyes are shown narrowed due to the influence of narcotics. An ascetic's other attributes, such as bead (rudrakha) armband are on his upper arms and on his wrists. However, Shiva has been depicted with the stock-in-trade silver colour ornaments of the Kalighat paintings (executed in tin alloy), particularly multi-string necklace, earrings and other ornaments on his arms. The strings and the trimmings of the 'tanpura' are in silver colour painting. The figure is lightly shaded and the torso as well as the limbs are well rounded. The facial expression has captured Shiva's traditional appearance.