wooden carving of lord 'Shiva'

Beautiful wooden carving of lord 'Shiva' in a showcase on M.G.road made out of Sandalwood...

Shiva is one of the Trimurti (i.e "trinity"). In the Trimurti, Shiva is the destroyer, and Brahma is the creator and Vishnu is the preserver. Even though he represents destruction, Shiva is viewed as a positive force (The Destroyer of Evil), since creation follows destruction.

He destroys our imperfections in order to ensure our spiritual progress.
He destroys our illusions, desires and ignorance.
He destroys our evil and negative nature.
He destroys our old memories, so that we can move on with the movement of time.
He destroys our relationships, attachment, impurities, physical and mental wrong doings, the effects of bad karma, our passions and emotions and many things that stand between us and God as impediments to our progress and inner transformation.
And in the end when we have made sufficient progress, when we are ready and prepared, and when we are willing without any inner conflict, he destroys death. Refer...

Shiva is usually represented by the Shiva linga (or lingam), usually depicted as a clay mound with three horizontal stripes on it, or visualised as a blazing pillar. In anthropomorphised images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation on Mount Kailash, his traditional abode. Refer...