Hindu DeitiesGanesha Shiva Vishnu Goddess Krishna Hanuman Local Deities Others
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Shiva
With Vishnu and the Goddess, Shiva is one of the three most-worshipped Hindu deities. Shiva is a god of contradictions--fearsome and quick to anger, peaceful and quick to bless, and living in the mountains at the margins of society--but his primary attribute is unstoppable power. This image from Ellora shows Shiva as Tripurari, the Destroyer of the Three Demon Cities (which was done with a single arrow shot through all three). It is part of the elaborate decorations on the Kailasanatha temple, and was carved in the middle of the 8th century.
Here Shiva appears in his symbolic form as a linga. This is often described as a "phallic" symbol, and the form of the Gudimallam Linga (2nd C. BCE) clearly shows that this dimension is part of the meaning, but the symbolism goes beyond this.
Shiva transcends any duality. As but one example, he is both the model husband and the supreme celibate ascetic--an impossible combination for mortals. The linga's two elements are the shaft and base, which can be interpreted as symbolizing male and female reproductive organs. Thus, in his symbolic form Shiva transcends what is for most humans the basic reality, namely sexual identity. During worship devotees will pour water (and other liquid offerings such milk, honey, and yogurt) on the linga, and then catch the runoff from the spout of the base as prasad (sanctified food/drink) that is consumed as a sign of blessings. Photo Khajuraho 2005.
This photo shows Shiva as Mahakaleshvar, the "Lord of Death," at a famous temple in the city of Ujjain. Here the image (a black stone linga) has been decorated for the evening worship. Shiva is usually shown wearing snakes as ornaments (perhaps reflecting associations with the Nagas or nature spirits) and here you can see one drawn in sandalwood paste on the side of the linga, and another behind it in metal.
Here is Shiva in his wrathful form as Bhairava (note the skull cup in the statue's left hand). The purplish flower blossoms placed throughout are evidence of worship sometime earlier that day. To the left of the statue is a trident with a red cloth (the latter a symbol of the Goddess Parvati), and at bottom left a small linga, whose top is also adorned with a blossom. Baijnath 1990.
In Hindu mythology the linga first appears as a pillar of fire. In the story, Brahma and Vishnu were arguing about which of them was greater, and they were astonished to see a pillar of fire filling the sky. Brahma mounted his swan and flew upwards, while Vishnu took the form of a boar and dug downwards, but neither could find the pillar's limits. When they came back to recount their failure, Shiva emerged from the heart of this fiery pillar, and thus stood revealed as the greatest of all the gods.
Ellora, 7-8th c. CE
One of Shiva's famous manifestations is as Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance. Here Shiva's dance is itself the rhythm of the universe, created by the drum he holds in the hand at upper right, and destroyed by the fire in his hand at upper left. Ellora, 7th or 8th century CE.
As noted above, Shiva transcends all dualities, and one image image to express this is the ardhanarishvara ("the Lord who is half woman"), in which one half has male features and attributes, and the other half female (thus showing how Shiva transcends one of the most basic human binaries, sexual identity). This sense that Shiva's wife Parvati is always present with him is why a trident (symbol of Shiva) usually also has a strip of red cloth tied around it (Parvati).
This image was a greeting card that I bought in India in 1990.
Here's a modern statue (2002) near Hardwar showing Shiva in all his majesty, along with this attributes--trident and hand drum, snakes, crescent moon, matted locks, and rudraksha-bead necklace.. For scale, note the size of the people walking around at the base (circling something clockwise is a way to show respect). Hardwar is the gateway to the Himalayas (where Shiva lives) so this is an appropriate location for this image.
With public religious art in India, the working assumption seems to be "the bigger, the better," and this was massive. Photo January 2005.
Ascetics such as this one are often seen as icons or images of Shiva himself. This ascetic has the matted locks, ash-smeared body, and simple possessions (just a blanket to cover himself, although he is wearing some jewelry) that are associated with Shiva himself. He also seems pretty indifferent to the cool temperature at Kedarnath, for which everyone else was wearing sweaters. Photo Sarah Helminski, June 2002.
Shiva is also well-known for his love of intoxicants--particularly marijuana, which grows luxuriously wild through much of the lower Himalayan regions, and can be either smoked or eaten. Some devotees--such as the sadhu named Bhoot Das in this photo--emulate his behavior in this aspect too. In sadhu circles offering dam-pani (literally "breath [and] water", but more commonly meaning tea and a smoke) are the most common gestures of hospitality.
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