Parvati Seated

Parvati, like Durga, is another form of the great goddess Devi. “‘Parvat’ means mountain. Parvati, daughter of Himavan, god of the Himalayas, is known as Daughter of the Mountain. Her greatest pleasure is to serve Shiva, and she combines the roles of caring wife and affectionate mother.”*

“The association between Parvati and Shiva is often seen to represent the perennial tension between the ideals of the ascetic and the householder. Parvati’s aim is to lure Shiva into the world of marriage, sex, and children, to tempt him away from asceticism, yoga, and otherworldly preoccupations. In this role she is cast as a figure who enhances life in the world, who represents the beauty and attraction of worldly, sexual life, and who cherishes the home and the family.”

- Anthony, Belconnen, Australia