In this charming familial scene of the Hindu god Shiva and his wife Parvati, the holy couple sit in a mountainous landscape beside a campfire with their two mounts, Shiva’s bull and Parvati’s lion. Parvati’s hands, held in the anjali mudra (gesture) of worship, indicate her reverence for her nimbate and mustachioed husband, Shiva, who is shown seated in yogic posture on a tiger-skin. Several snakes are wrapped around his wrists, upper arms, and neck as ornaments. They are complemented by a necklace of severed heads, the emblematic crescent moon on his forehead, and the tiger-skin shawl draped around his shoulders. From Shiva’s topknot flows the Ganges River, which descends to a pool of water from which Parvati’s lion drinks. Implements for tending the fire and making Shiva’s intoxicating drink (bhang) are by his side. The rocks framing Shiva’s figure represent his Himalayan home, Mount Kailasa. Images of monkeys and peacocks abound on its various peaks. The lotus-filled lakes and blooming tree teem with waterfowl.
