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[[Image:607px-Shiva Bangalore .jpg|200 px|right|Statue of Lord Shiva (Bangalore, India) performing Yogic meditation in the Padmasana posture.]]
'''Shiva''' (also spelt '''&#346;iva''', has many names) ([[Sanskrit]]:&#2358;&#2367;&#2357;) is form of God in Hinduism. He is the third form of God as God as the Destroyer, [[one of Trimurti]] (popularly called the "Hindu trinity"). In the trimurti, Shiva is the destroyer, while [[Brahma (god)|Brahma]] and [[Vishnu]] are creator and preserver, respectively. However, even though He represents destruction, He is viewed as a positive force (The Destroyer of Evil), since creation follows on from destruction.  Some Hindus believe in a legend that he came from an [[Egg (biology)|egg]] laid by [[Ammavaru]] while others say he is ''anadi'' (without beginning/birth) and ''ananth'' (without end/death). Shivas worshippers are called [[Shaivaite]]s.

Some of His chief attributes are signified by His hundreds of names, such as ''Mahabaleshwar'' (Great God of Strength), ''Tryambakam'' (Three-Eyed One, i.e. All-Knowing), ''Mahakala'' (Great Time, i.e. Conqueror of Time), ''Nilkanth'' (The one with a Blue Throat) etc.  ([[Shiva|'''more...''']])