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If I had to select a religion based on beefcake alone, Jainism would be #1, where the holy men walk around naked.
But #2 would have to be Hinduism. Where else can you find a god who offers wisdom, compassion, and enlightenment plus a bodybuilder's physique?
And they make them big. Statues of Hindu gods are some of the tallest in the world. Here are the top 10 Public Penises of Hinduism.
The Trimurti, the three Great Gods who represent different aspects of the Divine, are a little too esoteric for representation. Only Lord Shiva, who destroys and transforms life, appears often.
1. Lord Shiva at Rishikesh, on the banks of the Ganges. It was washed away by flood waters in 2010.
2. There are several other statues of Lord Shiva that are even bigger. The one in Kachnar City, Jabalpur is 75 feet tall.
By the way, Mohit Raina (top photo) plays Lord Shiva in the popular Indian tv series
Devon ke Dev (2011-)![]()
3. Lord Vishnu, who preserves and maintains life, is represented by this very detailed -- and very large -- bust in Bali.
4. Vishnu has 10 avatars, for various incarnations of the world. The one for humans, Lord Krishna, receives lots of devotion. For members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, he's the ultimate god of the universe. Usually he's portrayed as a baby, or as a beautiful youth. Here he stands beside his bull, Nandi.
5. Another avatar of Vishnu, Rama, lived about 1.2 million years ago. He is the protagonist of the
Ramayana and a veritable action hero. Sometimes he's portrayed with his devoted wife Parvati at his side, but alone, he's used for both secular and profane purposes. Here a young boy appears to be crawling under his legs.
More after the break
6. Another of Rama's devoted followers was Hanuman the Monkey God, the strongest and wisest of the gods, and the only one who can destroy demons. He is represented by many statutes in India. The biggest, in Paritala, is 130 feet tall.
7. This one in Chitrakoot, "The Home of the Gods," shows more of the reason for his incredible strength.
8. Shiva's son, Lord Ganesha the patron of learning and the arts. Students pray for him for success in exams. He also removes obstacles, a virtue which everyone can use. He is instantly recognizable by his elephant head and chubby frame.
9. Lord Ganesha's brother, Lord Kartakeya, inherited their father's physique. Pilgrims to the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, can see this 140 foot tall steel-and-gold-plate version.
10. The penis itself is revered in Hinduism. Specifically Lord Shiva's penis, or more precisely the creative power of the universe, distributing divine energy in the form of a pillar.
This one from Kannada looks a lot like a penis, and has a naked Shiva in relief.
11. More commonly they look like pillars, like this one in Vietnam, being guarded by two rather fey gods.
12. There are 330 million gods in Hinduism, but they all represent a single all-encompassing godhood that infuses all life. Every person and animal is holy. Every person has a spark of the divine. Like bodybuilder Sangram Chougule.
See also:
A bodybuilding contest in India;
The Temple of the Penis
