This excellent statue cast in brass, represents Lord Shiva as Ardhanarishvara, that is, the half male and half female. The right half is his own form and the left half that of his consort Parvati. On the face of it, this art-piece appears to be the product of man's queer imagination, a quaint anatomy attempting at conciliating the ever-conflicting male and female elements into one being.This apparent visual fallacy has, however, a deeper meaning and logical significance, which has its roots in ancient India's religious texts and philosophy related to cosmology and Creation. It believes that Lord Shiva is the first of all beings and the root of all elements. He was always and was the only one. Being the first, he is Adishiva, and being always he is Sadashiva. Both, as Adishiva and Sadashiva, Lord Shiva had, inherent in his being, both, the male and female aspects or attributes essential for Creation., for unless he combined in him the male and female, the positive and negative, how could he create and become many from the one -"ekohama bahusyami".
