दर्शन

Darshan — The Gallery

To look upon the form of the Lord with devotion is itself worship. Click any image to view it full size; use the arrow keys to move between them.

The Gangadhareshwara sculpture of Shiva at Azhimala, Kerala — flowing locks, serpents and trishul against a dramatic sky — Gangadhareshwara at Azhimala, Kerala — 18 metres of sculpted fury and grace on a cliff above the Arabian Sea.

Low-angle view of the Azhimala Shiva sculpture, trishul raised against the clouds — Azhimala from below — the Lord who received the Ganga, gazing into the sky.

Silhouette of the tall Shiva statue with trishul at sunrise, reflected in the Ganga at Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar — Sunrise at Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar — Mahadev silhouetted over his river.

White statue of Shiva meditating in padmasana on the bank of the turquoise Ganga at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh — Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh — the Lord in meditation upon the Ganga herself.

Golden statue of Lord Shiva with trishul at night, the moon visible in the dark sky — Mangal Mahadev — gold against the night, the moon keeping watch.

Crowds gathered before the Adiyogi statue glowing deep blue during the Mahashivratri light show — Adiyogi, Coimbatore — thousands gathered as the first yogi glows through the Mahashivratri night.

The 37-metre Shiva statue of Murudeshwar seated in padmasana against the sky — Murudeshwar, Karnataka — among the tallest Shiva statues in the world, gazing over the Arabian Sea.

The Murudeshwar Shiva statue against a pink and violet sunset sky, with Nandi the bull beside him — Murudeshwar at dusk — the Lord and Nandi beneath a burning sky.

Aerial view of the Murudeshwar Shiva statue on its green headland surrounded by the turquoise Arabian Sea — Murudeshwar from above — Mahadev enthroned between land and the turquoise sea.

The blue Shiva statue of Pumdikot, Pokhara, seated on a tiger skin with a golden trishul against a deep blue sky — Pumdikot, Pokhara (Nepal) — the blue Lord with his golden trishul, high above the Himalayan valley.

The towering seated Shiva statue at Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Dwarka, against a vivid blue sky — Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Dwarka — the Lord of Serpents beneath a flawless sky.

Close-up of the bronze Mangal Mahadev statue at Ganga Talao, Mauritius — raised palm, cobra and trishul — Mangal Mahadev, Ganga Talao (Mauritius) — the blessing hand, the cobra and the trishul.

A stone Shivalinga shrine framed by a dark stone archway, glowing softly at night — A lingam in lamplight — the formless, given an address in stone.

The snow-covered pyramidal peak of Mount Kailash — Mount Kailash, Tibet — the unclimbed abode of Shiva and Parvati, 6,638 m.

The stone temple of Kedarnath with snow-covered Himalayan peaks behind — Kedarnath, Uttarakhand — the highest Jyotirlinga, beneath the glaciers of the Mandakini.

Chola bronze of Shiva Nataraja dancing in a ring of fire — Shiva as Nataraja — Chola bronze, c. 10th–11th century. The cosmos as the dance of bliss.

Raja Ravi Varma's painting of the Ganga descending into Shiva's locks — “Descent of the Ganga” — Raja Ravi Varma. The river of heaven received in his matted locks.

Raja Ravi Varma oleograph of Shiva and Parvati with Nandi on Kailash — Shiva, Parvati and Nandi on Kailash — oleograph after Raja Ravi Varma.

All images are public domain or Creative Commons — see image credits for sources and licenses.