Shiva, the Destroyer, is one of the three supreme divinities in Hinduism, alongside Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Preserver. Rather than destroying out of malice, Shiva ends each cosmic cycle to make way for rebirth - a role symbolised in art by the snake around his neck, shedding its old skin just as the universe is renewed. Temples devoted to him span far beyond India:
Munneswaram Temple, Sri Lanka - Over a thousand years old, this temple complex has been rebuilt twice after destruction during Portuguese occupation. The four-week Munneswaram Festival draws devotees of multiple faiths.
Kauai's Hindu Monastery, Hawaii, USA - Established in 1970 amid tropical rainforest, monks here live an ascetic life dedicated to Shiva, Ganesha, and Muruga, while publishing Hinduism Today magazine and welcoming daily visitors for meditation.
Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal - A UNESCO World Heritage Site on the banks of the Bagmati River, known for its gold-plated roof and as a place where devout elders come to pass away, believing it guarantees reincarnation as a human.
Katas Raj Temples, Punjab, Pakistan - This complex, with structures dating to the 6th century, surrounds a sacred pond said to have formed from Shiva's tears as he mourned Sati's death.
Shiva Vishnu Temple, Melbourne, Australia - Built in 1986 by the Hindu Society of Victoria, this temple now draws up to 15,000 visitors during its largest festivals and includes a heritage museum and cultural centre.
Mukti Gupteshwar Temple, Minto, Australia - The first man-made cave temple of its kind, built between 1997-1999, gifted a statue of Gupteshwar by the King of Nepal to mark its completion.
Prambanan, Java, Indonesia - A 9th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site, its 47-metre Shiva temple stands between shrines to Brahma and Vishnu as the centrepiece of Southeast Asia's largest Hindu temple compound.