Lord Shiva 's Family

Lord Shiva 's Family

Chola Bronze,11th Century AD

       Although Lord Vishnu represents the ideal family man, but is Lord Shiva who is depicted with his family. Here we see Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati and his son, Kartikaye. Surprisingly Lord Ganesh is conspicuously missing.

      To the Indian mind both the mendicant and the family man are important. While the former keeps the society on the path of intellect and spiritualism, the latter keeps it within the bounds of economic and social activities. In order to emphasise the family bonding, in order to stress on family ties, the gods were depicted in family groups.

     Kartikaye is not an important god in the North, but is worshiped as a popular god in the South. Called Skanda, Kartikaye or Allaapa, he is the God of war. He is the elder of the two siblings. Ganesh, of course, out does him as Ganesh is the God of wisdom.