Shiva 'The Auspicious One' also known as Mahadeva. 'The Great God' or Hara, is the Supreme Being, the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. Shiva has many aspects, benevolent as well as fearsome. In benevolent aspects, he's an omniscient Yogi who lives an ascetic life on Mount Kailash, as well as a householder with his wife Parvati and his three children, Ganesha, Kartikeya and Ashokasundari. In his fierce aspects, he's slaying demons. Shiva is regarded as the patron god of yoga, meditation and the arts.
The iconographical attributes of Shiva are the serpent around his neck, the adorning crescent moon, the holy river Ganga flowing from his hair, the third eye on his forehead (the eye that burns everything to ashes when opened), and the trident as his weapon. He's worshipped in the abstract form of lingam.
