A god who is said
to be a mix of the gods Hari (Vishnu) and Hara (Vishnu) (Shiva).
The conviction that both of these divinities were different
expressions of the same divine force lay behind this hybrid god.
This underlying oneness was shown in a variety of ways.
One method was to build a figure with Shiva's qualities on
the right half and Vishnu's on the left.
Another popular way in current poster art is to depict both
Vishnu and Shiva in their complete forms, riding their respective animal vehicles.
Vishnu's elephant and Shiva's bull are linked at the head in
such a manner that the heads of both creatures may be discerned, but only one
can be seen at any one time.
The elephant-bull and the split image both illustrate that
Vishnu and Shiva are manifestations of the same divine force, and that whatever
god one experiences at any one time is determined by one's current viewpoint.
The Harihara image as a whole represents a significant
religious truth, yet it is simply too abstract to become popular or ubiquitous.
People have preferred to worship one or the other of these
deities in their daily religious lives, rather than their idealized
combination.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
