Description
This stone relief, from a niche or subsidiary shrine of a Hindu temple, depicts the god Shiva with his wife, the goddess Parvati, seated in an affectionate embrace. Shiva holds his trident ("trishula") and Parvati her lotus. As a god who embodies opposing qualities, Shiva is both an amorous husband and an ascetic god who retreats from home for solitary meditation – his matted locks of hair, piled high atop his head, remind us of this second quality. Below the deities are their vehicles, Shiva's bull and Parvati's lion.
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