The gods Shiva and Pārvatī appear in South Asian sculpture in several iconographic forms and incarnations. In this form, Shiva appears as Maheshvara, or the Great God, and Pārvatī as Uma, the daughter of Himavan, the King of Mountains. In her incarnation as Uma, the goddess performed many meritorious deeds in order to marry Shiva. Together, Uma and Maheshvara represent an ideal married couple with arms draped around each other. Their two sons, Ganesha and Skanda, stand beneath them on either ...
