Shiva, ‘the destroyer’ among the Hindu trinity (of gods), isdepicted in many contradictory manners. He is an asceticwho wears animal skin, his body smeared with ashes.Contradictory to his wild nature, he is also depicted ashaving a family, with a beautiful wife and two children.There are many more such varied representations ofShiva, the most prominent of these being the Linga andthe Nataraja. The author, Devdutt Pattanaik, introducesthe readers to these varied aspects and representations,and then sets about interpreting them. He explains thedifferent anomalies and conflicts in beliefs, as well as thesymbolism, rituals and reasons behind Hindu worship.