Shiv Pariwar

Both are multi-figure family compositions but the theology and layout differ. The Ram Darbar shows Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman — four figures centred on royal authority and ideal kingship. The Shiv Pariwar shows the five-member Shiva household — divine parents, both sons and the sacred vehicle — centred on family unity and Shaivite worship. Choose the Ram Darbar if your household is Vaishnav or Ram-bhakt, and the Shiv Pariwar if you follow Shaivite tradition, celebrate Maha Shivratri as your primary festival, or already worship Ganesha and Kartikeya at home. Both are equally intensive commissions and command similar respect on the shelf.

Shilpa shastra places Shiva at the visual centre with Parvati on his left — the female side — in every canonical version. Ganesha, as the remover of obstacles, is placed on Shiva's right; Kartikeya stands on Parvati's side, often accompanied by his peacock. Nandi is carved at Shiva's feet, never detached from the base, and always faces the same direction as Shiva. Proportional hierarchy matters: Shiva tallest, Parvati slightly shorter, the two children clearly scaled as boys, and Nandi seated so his back reaches Shiva's calf. We follow these rules for every commission unless a buyer requests a documented regional variation.

For a standard apartment mandir cabinet, an 18-inch to 24-inch Pariwar keeps every figure legible without overcrowding the shelf — Shiva ends up roughly 15 to 18 inches with Nandi at 8 inches. For a dedicated puja room or built-in mandir alcove, 30 inches is ideal and lets devotees stand back during aarti. Independent bungalows with a full pooja hall or a stone shrine can go to 36 to 48 inches, and outdoor courtyard installations up to six feet. Below 12 inches we discourage the five-figure Pariwar entirely — the two children and Nandi lose expressive detail at that scale and the composition begins to look crowded.

Custom Shiv Pariwar commissions take 60 to 90 days from sketch approval to dispatch — longer than a single-deity idol because five figures must each pass Shila Pariksha, Rekhankan and Chikni before the composition is unified and polished. Maha Shivratri typically falls in late February or early March; to install by then, place your order by early December at the latest. For a Sawan-month installation in July, commission by April. Add two to four weeks for domestic shipping and up to six weeks for international dispatch depending on destination country and customs clearance. Rush orders under 60 days rarely finish without compromising detail.

Five-figure compositions have far more crevices — trishul prongs, Ganesha's tusk, Kartikeya's spear, Nandi's bell and horns, jewellery on Parvati, jata locks on Shiva — where dust accumulates faster than on a single-deity murti. Dust weekly with a soft dry cotton or microfibre cloth, and once a month use a natural-bristle brush to reach the recesses between figures. Never apply detergents, vinegar, lemon, alcohol or chemical polishes — all etch marble permanently. For Swarna Karya gold-leaf or mineral-pigment work, dry-dust only and never touch with water. If a hairline dulling appears, contact PLPS for professional re-polishing rather than home remedies.