Can one find Lord Shiva in the temple? And how does one get to talk to Him? Have you ever thought about how to communicate with Shiva Bhagwan? Can we find the God, Shiva, in places like Chidambaram, Rameshwaram, Haridwar, or Amarnath? You will get the answers if you go deeper in search of the truth and try to connect with the Supreme Being.

Devotees are of 2 kinds. One is the ardent believer who worships at the temple and believes that Shiva is present in the idol in the temple. Worshipping the idol is satisfying to him. He prostrates before Shiva muttering ‘Om Namah Shivaya’.

Another kind is the Seeker. This type will ask questions, probe his findings, and will eventually realize the truth. He may have many questions. This is Lord Shiva, true, but where exactly is he? Is he on Mt. Kailas? What is Lord Shiva’s origin? How did he appear on Earth? Is he the only God? Are there other Gods? How many?

People visit temples in order to find Lord Shiva and experience his presence. They believe that they can feel his power at such places and that they can access him easily there. Many also feel that they can attain Moksha or be freed from their sins by visiting certain temples and going on pilgrimages. Is it true?

Who is Shiva? He is the Destroyer Archetype in Hinduism. He is also one of the Trimurti or 3 major Gods of the Hindus. The other 2 are Brahma (the Creator) and Vishnu (the Preserver). But to understand who Shiva truly is, we need to think beyond religion. We need to tap into spirituality.

Shiva is a form created by religion so that we can begin our journey of faith. He is someone we can pray to, communicate and connect with. But God, in fact, is beyond religion. Religion marks the beginning of our journey to God, but it is spirituality that takes us to the final destination. Spirituality alone takes us toward God.

So, praying to Lord Shiva is not enough. We need to pray through Lord Shiva, whom we like to call God. In truth, God is not Shiva or Vishnu, or Ganesha. They are forms of God which help us to connect with God and build faith and trust. In reality, God is Brahman, the Supreme and Eternal power, or Brahman. It is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. It has no end or beginning. It is beyond birth and death. It is not a he or she. God has neither form nor name.

Places of worship have certain vibrations that enable one to connect with God. But Brahman is everywhere and not just in temples. It is present in the seas, mountains, sky, trees, clouds, bees, butterflies, and also in us. All things in creation are manifestations of Brahman. We are a part of it, and hence, we are not different from God.

People are conditioned to believe that God is separate from them. We perform rituals that enable us to communicate with God. This is a dualistic approach. Mythology also tells us that God is separate from us, living up above in heaven, and has unique characteristics.

There are people who renounce the world and go forth in search of God. But you cannot find God. You can only realize God. For that, we must journey inwards. The scriptures declare that God’s kingdom lies within us. He resides in the temple that is our heart. From chanting the Shiva Mantra, Om Namah Shivay, we must evolve to chanting Shivoham Shivoham. That is, I am Shiva. You are the very God whom you seek.

Great spiritual Masters have also said that God is found within and not without. We are one with God, not separate. We are a part of the same universal consciousness.

Tat Twam Asi, say the Mahavakyas in the Upanishads. It means ‘You are That.’ They also say Prajnanam Brahma, meaning ‘Everything is Brahman’. So, we are not separate from Lord Shiva!

Now we come to the original question - Where is Shiva? The answer is not hard to find now, is it? He is within you, Seeker! Look within, seek within, and you will find him.