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Hindu Garden Sculpture of god Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism.
Shiva is one of the six primary forms of the Divine in Smartism, a denomination of Hinduism that puts
particular emphasis on six deities, the other five being
Vishnu, Shakti, Ganesha, Kartikkeya and Surya. Shiva is
also known as the destroyer or transformer in the Hindu
trinity. Shiva is usually worshipped as the Shiva linga.
In images, he is generally represented as immersed in
deep meditation or dancing the Tandava upon the demon of
ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the lord of
the dance.
The stone carving tradition in India is one of the
richest in the world. Stone carving is an ancient
activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped
by the controlled removal of stone. Art of Stone Statues
and Collectibles is the poetic expression of stone
craft. Sculptures of Hindu deities, modelled on
classical prototypes, continue to be made in many parts
of India. In Tamilnadu such sculptures are made in
granite. In Karnataka, exquisite figures carved in
relief in black stone, with details engraved in fine
lines, come out in greyish- white against the black
surface. Softer stones are used in Orissa, which are
easy to carve. The fully carved jali-worked, in
Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, are most intricately done. The
artisans in Gujarat are engaged in the art of cutting
and polishing semi-precious stones. One can see the life
like images being skillfully sculptured in different
varieties of stone across the state. In Jaipur, white
marble is used for carving out statues of gods and
goddesses as well as animal and human figures.
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