Portal:Hinduism/Selected article/10
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Shaivism (also spelled Saivism, IAST Śaivism; see Sanskrit for pronunciation) is a branch of Hinduism in India that worships Shiva as the supreme God (Bhagawan). Followers of Śaivism are called Śaivas or Śaivites. There are approximately 220 million Śaivites in the world. Śaivism is a form of nondual spiritual practice and philosophy originating in India. Śaivites believe that the entire creation is both an expression of conscious divinity and is non-different from that divinity which they call "Śiva". Because he is simultaneously the created and the creator, Śiva is both immanent and transcendent. Originating in India, Śaivism has appeal all over India and the world. An icon resembling Siva in his aspect of Pasupata has been found among the remains of the Indus Valley Civilization, leading to speculation that Siva may be an ancient indigenous deity who was accepted and incorporated in later Vedic Hinduism.
