Lord Shiva is one of the main Deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme
God in Shaivism, one of the major branches of Hinduism practiced in
India. Lord Shiva is worshipped as the paramount lord by the Saivite
sect of India. He is considered as the destroyer and the restorer, the
great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality. Lord Shiva is a part of the
trinity or trimurti of Hindu gods. Even though he represents destruction, Lord Shiva is viewed as a positive force (the Destroyer of Evil). According to Shaivism, Shiva is not merely a destroyer but performs five functions :
- Creator Preserver
- Destroyer
- Hiding the sins
- Blessing
God Shiva is known by various names. One of his names is Bholenath, which means the innocent God. Shiva as Rudra is regarded as the destroyer of evil and sorrow. Shiva as Shankara is known as the doer of good. Lord Shiva has "Trinetra" (divine vision). He is also known as "Nilakantha" (blue necked). This is because of the fact that he consumed the poison 'Halahala' to save the world from destruction. Lord Shiva as Nataraja represents the Divine Cosmic Dancer. Shiva is also known as Ardh narishvara, which symbolises both man and woman.
Lord Shiva idols are crafted out of various materials like :
- Stone
- Wood
- Ashtadhatu
- Sphatik/Crystal
- Parad/Mercury
Idols of Lord Shiva are available in following style :
Shiva Parivar
Shiva Parivar is a combination of 5 statues comprising the family of Lord Shiva. It includes Lord Shiva(in the form of shivlinga), Goddess Parvati, their two sons - Ganesha and Kartikeya and Shiva's vehicle - the Nandi Bull. It is said that the regular worship of Shiva Parivar results in prosperity and good health.
The idol of Shiva Parivar is usually available in Sphatik and Parad.