Metal Statues of Lord Shiva, God of Transformation
Shiva may be the second most widely recognized Hindu deity in the west outside of his son, Ganesha. And inside India itself, Shiva is one of the most widely worshiped god as well. Shiva is often depicted in several different forms, and we have statues that depict these most common forms.
One popular style of statue depicts him as "Nataraja," meaning Lord of the Dance. Shiva is dancing upon the demon of ignorance, one leg crossing his body and one arm crossing his chest in the post of energy.
But Shiva is also known as the patron saint of the ascetics, and is thus often depicted deep in meditation, going on a spiritual quest.
But many times Shiva isn't depicted in a common anthropomorphic form at all, but instead as the lingam, which is a representation of a phallus. This shape is thought to symbolize the creative power and energy of this deity. If you want to learn more about Shiva, scroll down past our statues to the bottom of this page.
Shiva is often thought of as one of the the "principal deities" in Hinduism, the other two being Brahma (the Creator), and Vishnu (the Protector or Preserver). Shiva's role is commonly interpreted as being The Destroyer, but this is an apparent oversimplification; While Shiva is associated with destruction, he is also just as importantly linked with transformation and rebirth. For example, Shiva is almost always seen with a Cobra, since the shedding of skin by snakes was seen as a sign of rebirth. Shiva is also associated with deer, and in particular with their antlers, since these grow back and also are associated with reincarnation.
Another sign of death and rebirth is the Crescent Moon seen in Shiva's hair, as the moon can always be counted on to wax and wane, disappearing and reappearing regularly.
The early deity Rudra - known as The Howler and the early God of the Storm - and Shiva are thought to be one in the same. Shiva's name itself means auspicious, and it has often been interpreted as meaning purity, or having a purifying ability.
Like nearly all Hindu Gods and Goddesses, different Hindu sects believe different things about Shiva, and indeed, there are numerous different names referring to him. Some believe Shiva to be the supreme Reality, while others believe that Shiva is only half of the supreme divine, and needs his other half, Shakti (female energy, in the form of the goddess Parvati) present to make a single complete deity.
So most modern representations of Shiva have what can be thought of as "composite" features, meaning that the statues and images incorporate many features from the different Hindu traditions into one anthropomorphic being. They include the following attributes:
Has a third eye so powerfully destructive that it is never opened fully (he destroyed Kama, the Hindu God of Desire, with it)
Ganga, Goddess of the Ganges river, resides in his hair
His main weapon is the Trident or Trisula, with the three points of the trident representing Creation, Preservation, and Destruction of the Universe
He is often depicted with a tiger skin wrapped around his waist (or sitting atop a tiger skin).
When in the Nataraja pose, Shiva holds a damaru (small wooden drum) in one hand
Some sects considered the Monkey King Hanuman to be an Avatar of Shiva. One of the three biggest Hindu sects worships Shiva as the Supreme Reality, while the other two major sects hold that position for Vishnu, and for Shakti.
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