ardhanArI Form

[Vivek Anand Ganesan]

Hello all :

    I have been much intrigued by the ardhanArI form.  I am
only aware of a temple with this mUrthi in Tamil Nadu.

a) Are there temples elsewhere with this form?

b) In general, quite a few of the deities are represented
   by a male/female couple e.g. ShrI + VishNu, Sita + Ram,
   Radha + Krishna etc.  Is there a philosophical
   significance to this?

c) However, the ArdhanArI form is present only in the
   Shaivite tradition.  The shaivite tradition also
   emphasizes the unity of the devotee with Shiva.
   Is this a later development of Shaivism or was it
   "monistic" all along?

Thanks,

-Vivek.
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