Do you know why Shiva is Shown in Blue Color?

We all have seen Lord Shiva with blue skin colour. But have you wondered,  why is he not shown in normal human skin colour?

The answer lies in the fact that Hinduism is full of symbolism and the blue colour skin of Shiva is also a symbol that conveys something to its followers.

Blue is the colour of endless possibilities. Every Hindu god is a human mind’s effort to give shape to the formless Brahman (The Supreme Truth or God in Hindu Religion).

Blue represents an infinite and all-pervading reality — formless Brahman.

As a result, the blue colour tells us that what seems to be Shiva is really the all-encompassing truth.

To satisfy the human intellect, Brahman (the Supreme Reality) takes on a certain shape.

The sky-blue colour also implies that everything we have learned about the Supreme Truth thus far simply represents one facet. The Supreme Truth manifests itself in a variety of ways.

Shiva is also shown in red, ash, and black. Infinity is represented by all of these colours.

The reason behind Shiva’s Blue Throat

Shiva’s other name is Neelakanda, which means “blue throat.” This is because when the Devas (Demigods) and Asuras (demons) churned the ocean of milk with Snake Vasuki as a rope, the first thing that appeared was a black sticky froth. It was Halahala, the terrible toxin with the potential to destroy the cosmos.

Lord Shiva quickly recognised that the poison had the potential to destroy the universe, so he took the toxic foam in his palms and swallowed it to save the planet.

Goddess Parvathi, concerned about her husband Lord Shiva’s welfare, grabbed his neck to prevent the poison from entering his body. The poison stayed in Shiva’s neck, turning it blue in colour.