Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism, revered as the destroyer and transformer within the trimurti, and as the supreme being in the Shaiva tradition. He is the great ascetic of Mount Kailasa, the cosmic dancer (Nataraja) whose dance sustains the rhythm of the universe, and the boundless consciousness worshipped in the form of the linga. He embodies both fierce power and infinite stillness.

Shiva

The auspicious one; lord of dissolution, meditation, and transformation.

Maha Shivaratri is the most sacred night dedicated to Shiva, kept with fasting and an all-night vigil of chanting, meditation, and the offering of water, milk, and bilva leaves to the Shiva linga. It is said to mark the night Shiva performed the cosmic dance of creation, preservation, and dissolution. Devotees observe it as a night of stillness and inner awakening.

Maha Shivaratri

The great night of Shiva, observed with fasting, vigil, and devotion.

Shiva

Festivals

Temples of Shiva

Arunachaleswarar

Bhimashankar Temple

Brihadisvara

Chidambaram Nataraja

Grishneshwar temple

Kashi Vishwanath Temple