All Hindus recognize the feminine complements to the masculine Gods, and a male deity's strength is derived from his feminine associate. Vishnu is almost always shown with Lakshmi, while Shiva is incomplete without the Parvati. A devotee may pray to only the masculine or only the feminine manifestation of the Divine but will always regard the equal importance of the other half.

Shrine to Durga: The Divine Feminine

Durga is the feminine side of all existence, the Goddess who rose to save a doomed world after all the male Gods were defeated by evil. Known as Kali in her most aggressive form, Durga is pure Shakti, or "Power and Strength." Through the destruction she causes, she creates new life and fresh hope. The stone image of Durga found in this shrine was carved in the 10th century. In worship her body is covered in a sari and her face by a brass-and-silver mask.

Parvati Copper alloy Himachal Pradesh, northeast India 18th century

For the worshippers of Shiva, Parvati is the Supreme Goddess and half of all existence. Her most popular forms include Durga and Kali, worshipped for strength; Durga-Mata and Kali-Mata, beloved for their nurturing maternal nature; and Gauri, when sought out for agricultural fertility. Here Parvati sits on the throne of heaven holding her weapons and symbols of feminine strength, or Shakti.