Ardhanarishvara, is a form of the Hindu deity Shiva combined with his consort Parvati. Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half-male and half-female, equally split down the middle. The right half is usually the male Shiva, illustrating his traditional attributes.
Ardhanarishvara
An early Kushan head of Ardhanarishvara, discovered at Rajghat, now in the Mathura Museum
A rare example of a Shakta Ardhanarishvara, where the dominant right side is female
A seated Ardhanarishvara with both the vahanas
Shiva, also known as Mahadeva or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism.
Statue of Shiva, Murudeshwara Temple, Karnataka
An ancient sculpture of Shiva at the Elephanta Caves, Maharashtra. 6th century CE
The Pashupati seal discovered during excavation of the Indus Valley archaeological site of Mohenjo-Daro and showing a possible representation of a "yogi" or "proto-Shiva" figure as Paśupati (Lord of the Animals" c. 2350–2000 BCE
Three-headed Shiva, Gandhara, 2nd century AD