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The water lily in the figure’s right hand shows that this statue represents the goddess Uma (also known as Parvati), wife of the Hindu god Shiva. She is standing in an elegant pose, with her body slightly angled at the hip and neck.<br/><br/> In a temple she would have stood to the left of Shiva, her customary position.
India: 'Shiva Bearing the Descent of the Ganges River'. Watercolour folio from a Hindi manuscript by the saint Narayan, c. 1740. Shiva bearing the descent of the Ganges River as Parvati and Bhagiratha and the bull Nandi look on. Told and retold in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and several Puranas, the story begins with a sage, Kapila, whose intense meditation has been disturbed by the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara. Livid at being disturbed, Kapila sears them with his angry gaze, reduces them to ashes, and dispatches them to the netherworld.
Varahi (Sanskrit: वाराही, Vārāhī) is one of the Matrikas, a group of seven or eight mother goddesses in the Hindu religion. With the head of a sow, Varahi is the shakti (feminine energy, or sometimes, consort) of Varaha, the boar Avatar of the god Vishnu. In Nepal, she is called Barahi.<br/><br/> Varahi is worshipped by all the three major schools of Hinduism: Shaktism (goddess worship); Shaivism (followers of the god Shiva); and Vaishnavism (devotion to Vishnu). She is usually worshipped at night, and according to secretive Vamamarga Tantric practices. The Buddhist goddesses Vajravarahi and Marichi are believed to have their origins in the Hindu goddess Varahi.
Varahi (Sanskrit: वाराही, Vārāhī) is one of the Matrikas, a group of seven or eight mother goddesses in the Hindu religion. With the head of a sow, Varahi is the shakti (feminine energy, or sometimes, consort) of Varaha, the boar Avatar of the god Vishnu. In Nepal, she is called Barahi.<br/><br/> Varahi is worshipped by all the three major schools of Hinduism: Shaktism (goddess worship); Shaivism (followers of the god Shiva); and Vaishnavism (devotion to Vishnu). She is usually worshipped at night, and according to secretive Vamamarga Tantric practices. The Buddhist goddesses Vajravarahi and Marichi are believed to have their origins in the Hindu goddess Varahi.
Varahi (Sanskrit: वाराही, Vārāhī) is one of the Matrikas, a group of seven or eight mother goddesses in the Hindu religion. With the head of a sow, Varahi is the shakti (feminine energy, or sometimes, consort) of Varaha, the boar Avatar of the god Vishnu. In Nepal, she is called Barahi.<br/><br/> Varahi is worshipped by all the three major schools of Hinduism: Shaktism (goddess worship); Shaivism (followers of the god Shiva); and Vaishnavism (devotion to Vishnu). She is usually worshipped at night, and according to secretive Vamamarga Tantric practices. The Buddhist goddesses Vajravarahi and Marichi are believed to have their origins in the Hindu goddess Varahi.
Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, meaning 'auspicious one') is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine.God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything which happens in the world and is the main aspect of life.<br/><br/> In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is regarded as one of the five primary forms of God. Followers of Hinduism who focus their worship upon Shiva are called Shaivites or Shaivas (Sanskrit Śaiva). Shaivism, along with Vaiṣṇava traditions that focus on Vishnu and Śākta traditions that focus on the goddess Shakti, is one of the most influential denominations in Hinduism.<br/><br/> Krishna (literally 'dark, black, dark-blue') is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is an Avatar of Vishnu and considered in some monotheistic traditions as the Supreme Being. Krishna is identified as a historical individual who participated in the events of the Mahābhārata.<br/><br/> Krishna is often described as an infant or young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata Purana, or as a youthful prince giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagavad Gita. The stories of Krishna appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions. They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero and the Supreme Being.
Prahlada is a character from the Puranic texts of Hinduism, wherein he is famed for his exclusive devotion (bhakti) to Vishnu, despite attempts in the story by his father, Hiranyakashipu, to turn him to the contrary. He is considered to be a mahājana, or great devotee, by followers of Vaishnava traditions and is of special importance to devotees of the avatār of Narasimha, the Man-Lion.<br/><br/> Despite several warnings from his father Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada continues to worship Vishnu. His father tries to poison him, get him trampled by the elephants, and put him in a room with venomous snakes, but Prahlada survives each and every time.<br/><br/> Holika, the sister of Hiranyakashipu, has a special shawl that would prevent fire affecting the person wearing it. One day, Hiranyakashipu orders Prahlada to sit on a pyre on the lap of Holika. Prahlad prays to Lord Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire starts, Holika burns to death, while Prahlada remains unharmed. This incident is celebrated as the Hindu festival of Holi.<br/><br/> After tolerating much abuse from his father Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada is eventually saved by Vishnu in the form of Narasimha, the half-man, half-lion avatar.
In Hinduism, Mahadevi (Sanskrit: Mahādevī, Devanagari: महादेवी) or 'Great Goddess' is a term used to denote the Goddess or Devi that is the sum of all other Devis - an all encompassing Female Deity as the consort or complement to an all encompassing Male Deity (Deva) or the Ultimate Reality (Brahman) in Shaktism.
The story of the River Ganga's descent from heaven is told in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and several Puranas. It begins with the sage, Kapila, whose intense meditation has been disturbed by the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara. Livid at being disturbed, Kapila sears them with his angry gaze, reduces them to ashes, and dispatches them to the netherworld.<br/><br/> Only the waters of the Ganga, then in heaven, can bring the dead sons their salvation. A descendant of these sons, King Bhagiratha, anxious to restore his ancestors, undertakes rigorous penance and is eventually granted the prize of Ganga's descent from heaven. However, since her turbulent force will also shatter the earth, Bhagiratha persuades Shiva in his abode on Mount Kailash to receive Ganga in the coils of his tangled hair and break her fall.<br/><br/> Ganga descends, is tamed in Shiva's locks, and arrives in the Himalayas. She is then led by the waiting Bhagiratha down into the plains at Haridwar, across the plains first to the confluence with the Yamuna at Prayag and then to Varanasi, and eventually to Ganga Sagar, where she meets the ocean, sinks to the netherworld, and saves the sons of Sagara.
Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, meaning 'auspicious one' ) is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine.<br/><br/> Shiva is depicted three-eyed, the waters of the River Ganges poring from his top-knot.<br/><br/> Parvati (Sanskrit: पार्वती (IAST: Pārvatī)) is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti herself, considered as wife of Shiva, albeit the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Supreme Goddess. Parvati is sometimes considered as the supreme Divine Mother and all other goddesses are referred to as her incarnations or manifestations.<br/><br/> Mewar (मेवाड़ مئور also called the Udaipur Kingdom) is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.<br/><br/> The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later became a princely state under the British. It was ruled by the Chattari rajputs of Mori Guhilot Parihar and Sisodia dynasties for over 1,400 years.
Harihara is the name of a combined deity form of both Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara) from the Hindu tradition. Also known as Shankaranarayana - where 'Shankara' is Shiva, and 'Narayana' is Vishnu - Harihara is worshipped by both Vaishnavites and Shaivities as a form of the Supreme God, as well as being a figure of worship for other Hindu traditions in general.<br/><br/> Harihara is also sometimes used as a philosophical term to denote the unity of Vishnu and Shiva as different aspects of the same Supreme God. The exact nature of both Vishnu and Shiva (from their associated stories in Vedic and Puranic scriptures), and their position of difference or unity (or both), is a subject of some debate amongst the different philosophical schools.
Shiva bearing the descent of the Ganges River as Parvati and Bhagiratha and the bull Nandi look on, folio from a Hindi manuscript by the saint Narayan, circa 1740.<br/><br/> Told and retold in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and several Puranas, the story begins with a sage, Kapila, whose intense meditation has been disturbed by the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara. Livid at being disturbed, Kapila sears them with his angry gaze, reduces them to ashes, and dispatches them to the netherworld.<br/><br/> Only the waters of the Ganga, then in heaven, can bring the dead sons their salvation. A descendant of these sons, King Bhagiratha, anxious to restore his ancestors, undertakes rigorous penance and is eventually granted the prize of Ganga's descent from heaven. However, since her turbulent force will also shatter the earth, Bhagiratha persuades Shiva in his abode on Mount Kailash to receive Ganga in the coils of his tangled hair and break her fall.<br/><br/> Ganga descends, is tamed in Shiva's locks, and arrives in the Himalayas. She is then led by the waiting Bhagiratha down into the plains at Haridwar, across the plains first to the confluence with the Yamuna at Prayag and then to Varanasi, and eventually to Ganga Sagar, where she meets the ocean, sinks to the netherworld, and saves the sons of Sagara.
In Hinduism, Matangi is one of the Mahavidyas, ten Tantric goddesses and a ferocious aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother. She is considered as the Tantric form of Sarasvati, the goddess, she governs speech, music, knowledge and the arts. Her worship is described to acquire supernatural powers, especially gaining control over enemies, attracting people to oneself, acquiring mastery over the arts and gaining Supreme Knowledge. Matangi is often associated with pollution, inauspiciousness and the periphery of Hindu society, which is summed up in her most popular form Ucchishta-Chandalini or Ucchishta-Matangini. She is described as an outcaste (Chandalini) and offered left-over or partially-eaten food (Ucchishta) without washing his hands or food after eating; both of which are considered to be impure in classical Hinduism. Matangi is often pictured emerald green in colour. While Ucchishta-Matangini carries a noose, a sword, a goad, and a club, his other well-known form Raja-Matangi plays the veena and pictured often with a parrot.
Lakshmi Narayan or Lakshmi-Narayana (Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी-नारायण; IAST: Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa), also sometimes spelled Lakshminarayan, Lakshminarayana, Laxminarayana, is the name of a Hindu deity. It is usually referring to Vishnu, also known as Narayan, when he is with his consort Lakshmi.
In Hinduism, Matangi is one of the Mahavidyas, ten Tantric goddesses and a ferocious aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother. She is considered as the Tantric form of Sarasvati, the goddess, she governs speech, music, knowledge and the arts. Her worship is described to acquire supernatural powers, especially gaining control over enemies, attracting people to oneself, acquiring mastery over the arts and gaining Supreme Knowledge. Matangi is often associated with pollution, inauspiciousness and the periphery of Hindu society, which is summed up in her most popular form Ucchishta-Chandalini or Ucchishta-Matangini. She is described as an outcaste (Chandalini) and offered left-over or partially-eaten food (Ucchishta) without washing his hands or food after eating; both of which are considered to be impure in classical Hinduism. Matangi is often pictured emerald green in colour. While Ucchishta-Matangini carries a noose, a sword, a goad, and a club, his other well-known form Raja-Matangi plays the veena and pictured often with a parrot.
Dakshinamurthy or Jnana Dakshinamurti(Tamil: டக்ஷினமுர்த்தி, Sanskrit: दक्षिणामूर्ति ((Dakṣiṇāmūrti)) is an aspect of Shiva as a guru (teacher) of all types of knowledge, particularly the jnana. This aspect of Shiva is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge.<br/><br/> This form represents Shiva in his aspect as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom, and giving exposition on the shastras. He is worshipped as the god of wisdom, complete and rewarding meditation. This form of Shiva is popular in the southern states of India especially Tamil Nadu.
Vishnu (Sanskrit विष्णु Viṣṇu) is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God.<br/><br/> The Vishnu Sahasranama declares Vishnu as Paramatma (supreme soul) and Parameshwara (supreme God). It describes Vishnu as the All-Pervading essence of all beings, the master of - and beyond - the past, present and future, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within. Vishnu governs the aspect of preservation and sustenance of the universe, so he is called 'Preserver of the universe'.<br/><br/> Lakshmi (Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī, Tamil: லட்சுமி latchumi, Telugu: లక్ష్మి, Lakshmi) is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity (both material and spiritual), light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm.<br/><br/> Saraswati (Sanskrit: सरस्वती, Sarasvatī , Tamil: சரஸ்வதி, Sarasvatī , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the daughter of Brahma, sometimes also described as his consort.
Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, meaning 'auspicious one' ) is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is regarded as one of the five primary forms of God. Followers of Hinduism who focus their worship upon Shiva are called Shaivites or Shaivas (Sanskrit Śaiva).<br/><br/> Uma or Parvati (Sanskrit: पार्वती (IAST: Pārvatī)) is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti herself, considered as wife of Shiva, albeit the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Supreme Goddess. Parvati is sometimes considered as the supreme Divine Mother and all other goddesses are referred to as her incarnations or manifestations.