HARA – An epithet of Siva

HARA

Hara (the remover) was an epithet first associated with Rudra and the Maruts, both gods of storm. It had the connotation of death, the destruction that removes all things. By the Epic period Hara referred to Siva, the destroyer.
There was a manifestation of the godhead as Harihara, the right half as Hara, or (Siva, and the left half as Hari or Vishnu. Found in a number of temples, Hari- hara has the matted hair of Siva and all of Siva’s ornaments and weapons on the right, and the crown of Vishnu and all of his ornament and weapons on the left.

Leave a Reply