GOLDEN TEMPLE
‘World’s oldest’ optical illusion is inside Indian temple – but can you spot both animals in under five seconds?
NINE hundred years after it was created, the world's oldest optical illusion challenge continues to baffle those who attempt it.
An ancient image carved in stone at Airavatesvara temple in Thanjavur, a city in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, depicts a bull and an elephant.
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The figures have separate bodies, but appear to share the same head.
It is believed the creature you notice first says a lot about your personality.
Those who see the bull are said to be honest, faithful, stubborn, fierce, strong, and positive.
While those who see the elephant first are apparently calm, kind, thoughtful, considerate, loyal, and intelligent.
It might help to cover the body of one creature to see the other.
A bull with its head raised to the sky is on the left, and an elephant looking forward is on the right.
The bull, Nandi, represents the vehicle of Lord Shiva while the elephant, Airavat, is the vehicle of Indra, the king of heaven - both are significant in Hindu culture.
The temple where the stone illusion was created is a jewel of the Chola dynasty with 12th-century Dravidian architecture and carved decorations resembling chariots and avatars.
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