Matted Hair: The matted hair represents Lord Shiva’s connection with Vayu or air. Lord Shiva is the master of yoga, and the three matted locks on His head signify the ideal of yoga that involves the integration of the physical, mental and prana aspects of life.

Unclad Body and Ash: The unclad body symbolizes the transcendental aspect of Lord Shiva. Fire can ultimately destroy the whole creation into ash or transform them. So, the ash smeared on Lord Shiva’s body signifies that He transcends physical phenomena and is not affected by it.

Third Eye: Lord Shiva is also known as Tryambakeshvar, which literally means ‘three-eyed Lord,’ and is often depicted as having three eyes. His right and left eyes are the sun and moon respectively, while His third eye is the eye of wisdom. As His right and left eyes represent His activities in the physical world, the third eye in the middle of His forehead symbolizes spiritual wisdom and power, seeing beyond the apparent.

Ganga: Ganga, or the river Ganges, is the most sacred river in India and represents the flow of spiritual energy and purification of self. By holding the Ganges in his matted hair, Lord Shiva allowed the holy river to traverse the earth and bring its spiritual energy to humans.

Crescent Moon: Lord Shiva hold a crescent moon in his head, representing the cyclical nature of the universe. The waxing and waning of the moon symbolizes the cycle through which creation evolves.

Snake: Lord Shiva is often shown with a snake curled three times around His neck. The three coils of the snake represent the cycle of time – the past, present and future.

Trident: The three-pronged trident known as the Trishul shown with Lord Shiva symbolizes His three fundamental powers, or Shakti, of iccha, kriya, and jnana (will, action and knowledge).

Tiger Skin: Lord Shiva is shown sitting on or wearing a tiger skin. The tiger is the vehicle of Shakti, the Goddess of power and force, and since Lord Shiva is the master of Shakti, He is beyond and above any kind of force. The tiger skin that Lord Shiva wears symbolizes His victory over every force. The tiger also represent lust, and Lord Shiva indicates, by sitting on the tiger skin, that he has conquered lust.