An in depth look at the Statue of Lord Shiva in Bangalore, India from the perspective of a fictitious traveler (me). Asian Art survey class assignment.

2. On my fictional trip through the Indian subcontinent, I tried to visit the largest Hindu statues I could find, with Shiva being one of my favorites. In the West we build skyscrapers, while in Asia, and especially in India, businessmen build statues of their favorite deities (usually near resorts and amenities they own), for both profit and as a sign of wealth and success.
After visiting the 5 largest statues of Shiva, with the largest one in Nepal, I found myself in Bangalore, near the airport, where an old Kempfort store used to be. Walking through a side street I made it to a 65.5 foot tall white statue of Shiva, full of worshippers and devotees.

3. Most depictions of Shiva have many symbols in common. The most important thing to remember is that EVERYTHING has a meaning: the pose, the hands, the feet, the eyes, the colors, the animals, the backgrounds, the weapons, the musical instruments, etc. So we will discuss some of the most important ones that help me recognize Shiva among other Hindu deities, and which also help me compare different depictions of Shiva amongst themselves.

5. As you can see, for special occasions they make water flow out of her mouth in this statue as well.
Notice the woman’s face at the top of his hair’s bun. She represents the mother river, river Ganga or Ganges, and in the paintings, the river flows right out of her mouth.
The Ganges is the sacred river which bestows blessings if one bathes in it. It serves also as a reminder of how big and powerful a force of nature Shiva is. A large, life-giving sacred river being just a small part of what he is, or what he holds, but coming from his head, meaning he is always aware of it, ready to bestow blessings on his devotees.

6. The third eye is a symbol of awakening. Notice he is in deep meditation, with his eyes semi-open and an expression of calmness. This state of awakening is akin to that of Buddha and the story of his awakening under the Boddhi tree.
The crescent moon is one of his ornaments, and is a symbol for the waxing and waning of all things in nature, the dichotomy of creation and destruction, for which Shiva stands.
The ashes on his forehead are a symbol of rebirth and the immortality of the soul. Ashes are highly symbolic and they are used in Hinduism by devotees during special ceremonies and also those of ascetic branches of Hinduism as an exterior expression of their chosen lifestyle.

7. The snake is a sacred animal in Hinduism, most of all the King Cobra. This particular snake is called Vasuki Naga and is a deity in its own right, with its own set of mythological stories. Snakes are associated with power in their venom, with asceticism because they don’t crave nor hoard, and is also associated with time cycles, according to how many times it is depicted to be wrapped around Lord Shiva’s neck, although in the case of our statue it is only one. It is usually depicted as looking out of the right side of Shiva’s body, because it is the side of the body that represents knowledge, reason and logic. Shiva transcends time and he preserves the natural order of the universe.
The beads are called Japa Mala, which is a string of 108 beads on which one prays God’s name, both as a meditation practice and also as an enlightenment tool.

8. The trishula is his weapon, which he uses to sever ties and bring destruction, since he is the destroyer of the Hindu triad.
The damaru is his instrument, which he uses to create and bring new life after the destruction. It is a symbol of hope and balance: there is no destruction without new creation, no death without new life.
Notice both the trident and drum are held up with his 2nd pair of arms. His calmness of meditation is disrupted by the “actions” implied of destruction and creation of those arms held up. And yet, they are held in perfect balance, not one above the other, reminiscent of the Daoist belief of Yin and Yang.

9. Our statue sits on a tiger skin, depicted by the tiger head protruding in the front. In most depictions of Shiva, he is either wearing or sitting on tiger skins.
The tiger is both a symbol of power and also of lust. It signifies Shiva being above and beyond power as we understand it (this larger than life personified cosmic force); and also as having conquered his lusts and passions, which follows his theme of being a deity of perfect balance, such as Yin and Yang (Daoism), and hinting at mastering himself as a Buddha, or as an ideal of what a Buddha can achieve (such as is taught in Buddhism).

10. Now when I look at it again, I see how much more than just an art “object” this statue is, and am able to see it in a whole new light.