Parashu

The parashu is the Sanskrit word for a battle-axe that can be wielded with one hand or two. Its head could have a double edge, or a single edge with a spike on the back, and the cutting edge is broader than the end fixed to the haft, which is often wrapped in leather for grip. It usually measures between 90 and 150 centimetres, though some examples reach 210 centimetres, and it is typically made of iron or wootz steel. In Hindu tradition the parashu is a weapon of Shiva, Parashurama, Durga and Ganesha, and the main weapon of Sahadeva and Shakuni. It is best known as the axe Shiva gave to Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, who is said to have thrown it from Kanyakumari to recover the land of Kerala from the sea. The epics treat it as the most lethal close combat weapon, and it is still shown in the hands of these deities on idols across India.