Shiva’s wedding procession

When Shiva’s marriage with Parvati was finalized, he was invited with his relatives to the brides place on the day of the wedding. Since Shiva had no relatives, he was supposed to come with all his friends and acquaintances to accompany him.

His wedding attire was tiger-skin and a snake for a necklace. He had ashes smeared over him, and his unkempt hair in matted locks! He was sat atop his vahana, the Nandi bull and the whole sight was a far cry from what any bride’s family would have preferred to see. The members of the wedding procession too were worth a sight. Shiva was accompanied by ghosts, goblins, gnomes and all sorts of creatures from the crematorium, where Shiva spent most of his time. Many of them were bedecked with skulls and bones and some smoking hemp.