Marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati

Marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati

Kerala Bronze, 14th Century AD, Thiruvananthapuram Museum, Kerala

            A very unusual and certainly the best bronze piece in the museum. It is unusual as the theme of marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is not depicted even in Chola Bronze.  Chola Bronze does depict the family of Lord Shiva, but never his marriage. 

            The elegance of the pose, the gentle touch of  the hand, the beautiful facial expression, the details of the clothes worn by Goddess Parvati make this a masterpiece.  

            The social status of woman is very clear : smaller in size than Lord Shiva,  her status is lesser than his. But she is not the shy bride

            She is confident; she is radiant.   She is about to accept him as her counterpart.  But she is his equal in status. She may have longed for him. But now he is hers.