Ardhanarisvara
Ardhanarisvara Introduction: In Indian theologies, prominently in Hinduism we find various deities in their vivid forms, each having either a metaphorical or an idealistic motive behind representation. There are myths in and around all the deities, about how they attained a certain form. Siva, one of the three main gods in Hinduism (among Brahma and Visnu), who is considered as the ‘destroyer’ to maintain the circle of creation (samsara); is also depicted in various forms. Ardhanarisvara is one such form, where he is depicted as an androgynous/ hermaphrodite, i.e. half-man and half-woman. The half-woman is considered to be his consort Sakti or Parvati. As Hinduism spread in the South Asian sub-continent, it adapted and included in its pantheon numerous folk and tribal deities and their mythologies and faiths. The forms of representation like the iconography of the images, also changed while adapting these folk cultures. Hence, we can see differences between an image o