Shivaratri festival Shivaratri, the night of Shiva — part 2 In his most subtle form, he is equal to the undifferentiated Absolute, and when he voluntarily creates, it is together with Shakti, his equally powerful feminine counterpart. In a cosmic dimension, Shiva the Absolute, takes the form of a phallic-shaped lingam.
Shivaratri festival Shivaratri, the night of Shiva — part 1 Of the three major divinities of the Hindu pantheon, Shiva’s role is to act as the Destroyer of the universe. But unlike Vishnu, he does not incarnate each time the world is threatened but instead assumes several disguises: a beggar, a criminal, a hunter, a holy yogi, or a benevolent guru.
