In the divine family of Lord Shiva, there are tree members, namely, Lord Shiva, his consort Goddess Parvati, and their son Lord Ganesha (Vinayaka).
Lord Shiva represents the aspect of the Supreme Being (Brahman of the Upanishads) that continuously dissolves to recreate in the cyclic process of creation, preservation, dissolution and recreation of the universe.Lord Shiva is the Lord of mercy and compassion. He protects devotees from evil forces such as lust, greed, and anger. He grants boons, bestows grace and awakens wisdom in His devotees.
Parvati is the the consort of Shiva. Parvati is known as the motherly form of Mother Goddess Gauri Jagadamba, Parvati is another form of Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Maha Devi. Parvati symbolises many different virtues esteemed by Hindu tradition: fertility, marital felicity, devotion to the spouse, asceticism, and power. Parvati represents the householder ideal in the perennial tension in Hinduism in the household ideal and the ascetic ideal.
Ganesha is believed to be born from sandal wood paste from Goddess Parvati's body. He has an elephant head, big belly and long ears. Ganesha, who represents the earthbound awareness, as a shield to protect the divine secret from unripe minds. Ganesha is considered the master of intellect and wisdom, remover of obstacles and destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride.
By worshipping the combined energies of Lord Shiva , Parvati and Ganesha one attains all round prosperity, progress, success, good health, courage and gets freedom from all sorts of sins, diseases, obstacles, fear, sorrow.
Dimensions: 2.75 inches (H) x1.5 inches (W) x 2.75 inches (L) approx
Weight: 380 grams
Importance of Idol worship: Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors, but shining channels through which the heart of the devotee is attracted to and flows towards God. Though the image is worshipped, the devotee feels the presence of the Lord in it and pours out his devotion unto it. Regular worship, Puja and other modes of demonstrating our inner feeling of recognition of Divinity in the idol unveils the Divinity latent in it. This is truly a wonder and a miracle. The picture comes to life. The idol speaks. It will answer your questions and solve your problems. The God in you has the power to awaken the latent Divinity in the idol. The lives of Mirabai, Sant Tukaram, Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Shri Yogananda are a few instances to prove the point. They proved beyond doubt that idol worship has its own brighter side and through simple faith and intense devotion one can realize God through it.
Idols are the "finite representation of the Infinite". As per Vishnu Samhita (ch 29, v 55-7), persuasively endorses the use of imagery (idols) and puts it: "Without a form how can God be mediated upon? If (He is) without any form, where will the mind fix itself? When there is nothing for the mind to attach itself to, it will slip away from meditation or will glide into a state of slumber. Therefore the wise will meditate on some form, remembering, however, that the form is a superimposition and not a reality."