SHIVARA-TREE

‘Shivara-tree’ is a creative ‘deconstructed’ Interfaith Christmas Tree, celebrating the Hindu Festival of Maha Shivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva, Lord of the Cosmic Dance. It was created for Frensham St Mary’s Christmas Tree Festival in December 2016.

Shivaratri is a Hindu Religious Festival which celebrates one of the Great Divine Images of Indian Mythology, the Divine Godhead as 'Shiva Nataraja', the Dancing Shiva, Lord of the Cosmic Dance. Shiva is depicted as Dancing at the Heart of Creation in a Circle of Fire, symbolising Divine Spirit. Shiva is dancing on a small dwarf-like figure, symbolising the overcoming of the ignorance of our small-egoic-self, realising the Divine that is present in and as All that Is. In the words of Franciscan Priest, Richard Rohr, ‘God is a flow, a radical relatedness, a perfect communion between Three - a circle dance of love. God is Absolute Friendship. God is not just a dancer; God is the Dance itself.’