Story of the celestial dancer of India

Sanskrit: शिव
Śiva, lit. "Auspicious one"
Shiva is the supreme god of Hinduism. In the Smartha tradition he was one of five main gods.
He is usually worshipped in the form of Shiva linga. In images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava upon the demon of ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the lord of the dance. (As shown in above picture) The position of the god's hands and the objects held in them each represent a different aspect of his power, which may be simultaneously creative or destructive. His left hand closest to his head, for example, is held in the posture of reassurence, and the left hand furthest away holds a drum, which signifies time.
In some other Hindu denominations, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva represent the three primary aspects of the divine in Hinduism and are collectively known as the Trimurti. In this school of religious thought, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer or transformer.


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