That’s where Shiva waits. There’s a reason Shiva doesn’t live in the heavens. There’s a reason he’s always on the fringes, of society, of thought, of tradition. It’s not that he can’t belong. It’s ...

A Hindu holy man in Kathmandu smokes a chillum, a traditional clay pipe, on March 6, the eve of a festival honoring the god Shiva. Prkash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images Shiva is one chill deity.

Millions of devotees across India are celebrating the Shivaratri festival that honors the Hindu god Shiva, one of the main deities of Hinduism. Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent.

Symbolism behind the Vahanas of Hindu Gods(Freepik) Shiva and Nandi Lord Shiva, the embodiment of destruction and transformation, is associated with Nandi, the bull.