The Madhubani folk art painting featured here shows the Shiva Linga in all its glory. Lord Shiva is very rarely worshipped in the form of the dancer Nataraja. He is mostly depicted as the Linga, a tall, oblong aspect with a solid round base. Three broad streaks of vibhuti (ash) adorn the linga, with a painting of the third eye in the middle.

Shiva’s divine Third Eye remains closed most of the time. Since it is known to be a very powerful and intense destroying agent, it is feared by all the evil forces of the world. Shiva had once razed down Kama, the God of Love, by opening this eye, when the latter tried to disrupt his penance.

The painting also shows snakes adorning the edges of the frame. While Shiva wears snakes around him, this could also have been used to show the spiritual power of Kundalini rising along the seven chakras (spiritual centers) in the subtle human body, leading ultimately to enlightenment.