Shiva and Parvati

The divine couple of Shiva and Parvati, the daughter of the deity Himalaya, can be considered an exemplar of male-female relationships in the Hindu worldview. The static, frontal stance of Shiva contrasts with the adapted posture of Parvati, which is both directed towards the god and away from him. The worn foreheads of the deities and remnants of vermillion coloring are the result of their use in daily ritual worship, during which the deity is treated like a guest in the practitioner’s home.