H: Shri Uma-Maheshwar

• Maheshwar, or Shiva, is the Destroyer aspect of the divine Hindu Trinity. Brahma is the Creator; Vishnu, the Sustainer.
• Shiva is depicted here in the form of an ascetic yogi. His tiger-skin is used as a meditation mat, an honour reserved for the most accomplished yogis.
• The sacred river Ganga (Ganges) is traditionally believed to have made her abode in Shiva’s matted locks, and is depicted as flowing from them down to earth.
• He also digested the poison that emerged from the epic churning of the ocean, hence his bluish hue.