Today is International Women’s Day and Maha Shivratri both. This doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive.
I think Lord Shiva is one of the best feminist allies in Hindu mythology. He loves his wife, is loyal to her. So much so that he starts tandav after her death.
Married Hindu women often fast on the day of Shivratri and worship him to seek blessings for their families and the longevity of their spouse’s lives. Unmarried women fast to get a husband like Shiva.
I asked my aunt once - Why do women want a husband like Lord Shiva?
I don’t remember what she replied, but I think it is because he treats Parvati as his equal. Together, they represent the harmony of masculine and feminine energy, often depicted as halves fusing as one—the Ardhanarishvara.
I am not very religious, but I find Hindu religious mythology quite fascinating. I am about to do a Lord Shiva in a meditative mood. Maybe it is the pensiveness before the tandav. Maybe it is the responsibility of the universe on his shoulders.
What I find most intriguing is that he is one of the most powerful Hindu Gods, yet he prefers to live the life of an ascetic, far away from the riches of a palace, on Mount Kailash.
To have the power to destroy the world and yet remain sooo detached.
Supreme being in my books. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
