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Metal Statues of Lord Shiva, God of Transformation
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. 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: 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. | |||||||||||||||||