Shiva
Shiva is a Hindu god and one of the main deities in Hinduism. He is considered the destroyer and transformer and is part of the Hindu Trinity along with Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. Shiva is depicted as an ascetic, often with a third eye on his forehead and a serpent around his neck, and is associated with the principles of destruction and renewal.
Introduction
Shiva is the god of destruction, and the third of the Trimurti. His consort, as well as his shakti (divine energy), is Parvati, the goddess of power. His abode is upon the mountain Kailasha. He is often represented with two sons, Kartikeya and Ganesha. His mount is the bull called Nandi.
He is usually depicted with a third eye, a crescent upon his forehead, the Ganges flowing from his head, and a blue throat occasioned by consuming the kalakuta poison produced at the churning of the ocean. His adherents are called Shaivas, who regard him to be the supreme deity.
Some of the epithets of the destroyer deity are:
Hara
Rudra
Virupaksha
Manjunatha
Bholenath
Maheshwara
Avatars
Some of the major avatars and forms associated with Shiva include:
Veerabhadra
Lingam
Jyotirlinga
Dakshinamurthy
Bhairava
Pashupati
Khandoba
Durvasa
Nataraja
Ardhanarishvara
Tripurantaka
Mahakala
Sharabha
Ravananugraha
Vaidheeswara
Lingodbhava
Somaskanda
Bhikshatana
Dattatreya
The Tridevi comprises the consorts of the Trimurti, as well as each of their shakti. They are the primary goddesses in contemporary Hinduism, believed to assist their respective consorts in their acts of creation, preservation, and destruction in the universe.