Shiva Parvati with Nandi Statue 6" Item #9cc16

Shiva is seated with his loyal and loving wife, Parvati. The small bull is Nandi, Shiva's vehicle and gatekeeper. As depicted in this piece, when the husband and wife are together in sculpture Shiva is generally larger. The motif on the base resembles their mountain home of Kailasa.

Shiva's lower right hand is in the vitarka mudra. His upper right hand holds a string of malas (prayer beads). His lower left hand is caressing Parvati's breast. He wears an elaborate head dress.

Shiva the Destroyer, the Creator and Auspicious One, is one of the main deities of Hinduism, worshipped as the paramount lord by the Saivite sects of India. Shiva is one of the most complex Hindu gods, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. He is the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger. He often holds a trident, which represents the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. It is also said to represent the threefold qualities of nature: creation, preservation and destruction, although preservation is usually attributed to Vishnu.

The crescent moon that Shiva wears on his crown, besides being a symbol of Kama the goddess of nightly love, is also representative of Nandi embodying sexual energy and fertility.

Parvati is seated in rajlalila asana and on her left shoulder sits and open lotus flower.

Shiva's female consort and wife is Parvati; because of his generosity and reverence towards Parvati, Shiva is considered an ideal role model for a husband.

The Hindu goddess Parvati is known as "the daughter of the mountain". Parvati the wife of Shiva embodies Shakti. She is the benign aspect of the Mother Goddess Devi. Parvati is also considered to be the Divine Mother and all other goddesses are referred to as her incarnations or manifestations. Shaktas consider her to be the ultimate Divine Shakti - the embodiment of the sum energy of the universe.

Statues of Nandi can often be seen watching over the main shrine in temples. The bull is said to embody sexual energy and fertility.

This piece is made of copper and is decoratively accented with simple rubies and emeralds.

This beautiful sculpture is hand crafted by the very talented artists of the beautiful Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal.