AUTHENTIC INDIA MADHUBANI PAINTING OF SHIVA AND PARVATI, “ARDHNARESHWAR”

Lord Shiva and Parvati become one soul and
body, incarnated as ardhnareshwar —
meaning “half man and half woman.”
Regarded as the celestial overlord of
deliverance through destruction, Shiva is one
of the most complex gods of India,
embodying seemingly contradictory qualities
— at once the destroyer and the restorer,
the great ascetic and the symbol of
sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of
souls and the wrathful avenger. The
beautiful consort of Shiva, Parvati is adored
and petitioned by wives seeking a happy
married life. This elegant Madhubani
painting by Devendra Kumar Jha expresses
the Hindu belief that, after marriage,
husband and wife become one in eternity