Shiva and Parvati sculpture
A History of the World in 100 Objects
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Shiva Needs Parvati, the Female Aspect of God
The sculpture of Shiva and Parvati is a meditation on the very nature of God, says Shonika Rishi Das. It's perhaps most disconcerting to a non-Hindu viewer, especially to one raised in monotheism, she adds. In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, that monotheistic God is not just single, but has, by long tradition, been male. Hinduism's generous capacity to embrace all aspects of life beguiled Charles Stewart, an officer in the East India Company who so vigorously embraced values and virtues of Hinduism.
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