Shiva - Devdutt Pattanaik

This is an attempt to understand the meaning of Shiva worship in our time exploring various pictorial images of Shiva iconography, taking us through Shaivite philosophy, beliefs, history, folklore and myth. Written in a simple narrative style , and interspersed with familiar and unfamiliar tales retold, the book reaches out to young and old alike. The highlights include lucid explanations and a pictorial key to numerous symbols associated with Shaivite rituals and festival practices, a map of India showing important Shiva temples including the twelve jyotirlingas, a list of 108 sacred names of Shiva with their meanings, a bibliography for those interested in learning more, and over 150 illustrations of which many are in colour.