Presence of Siva  by Maki Ishikawa      picture by: http://andhratoday.com/festival/sivaratr.htm  
    Gods in India have a very mysterious existence. “One of the three great gods of Hinduism, Siva is a living god. The most sacred and most ancient book of India, the Rg Veda, evoked his presence in its hymns” (Karamrisch; 1981). I think the reason why that he is called a living god is that he lives in Hinduism through pictures, sculptures, dances, and other artistic expressions like these. These expressions are symbolized differently by each myth. This is very interesting to me because it means that one god has a variety of roles. Among the many books I have for research, one book called The Presence of Siva contains many myths that continue to convey Siva’s presence as a living god in India. The Iconography & Ritual of Siva at Elephanta is written about the sculptures of Hinduism's’ gods. SIVA in Dance, Myth, and Iconography presents the importance of Siva’s dance. The motif is established in a discussion of other manifestations of Siva represented in dance poses. In this web cite, I will present how Siva is portrayed as well as Siva’s importance in these myths.
 
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