Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati

Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati

Chola Bronze, 10th Century AD

          One of the finest pairs of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati amongst the Chola Bronze.  The Chola sculptors introduced a new concept of male and female beauty.  While the rest of India has plump squat figures as in Khajaraho and Konark,  the Chola figures are lean and thin, supple and graceful.  The female ideal is no longer buxom and broad. She is figure conscious and elegant. The male figure is not muscular figure of Gandhar School; he too is well proportinate, tallish and slim. 

           Lord Shiva stands in the posture of holding a Vina,  an instrument said to be invented by him when he saw Goddess Parvati sleeping.  He holds the deer in one hand, as he is the God of wilderness, or of animals as He is Pashupatinath.  In the other hand, He holds an axe, to destroy our obstacles, illusions, pain and agony. To free us from our worldly bonds. 

           Goddess Parvati holds a lotus (missing in the figure), to symbolise the bounty of Nature which she represents,  to symbolise harmony, beauty and peace. 

         This world needs both of them to achieve peace, prosperity and liberation.