Where did THAT come from: Shiva Statue

Well hello there Level 39 tappers!

You enjoying the new level update?  A lot of cool stuff came with the update and I get the privilege of sharing info about all of it, well, at least what Bunny shares with me lol.  Today’s WDTCF post is for the new premium decoration that got added for 40 donuts.  Yup, that right, the Shiva Statue.

You know, the first thing I thought when I saw this decoration was “A HA!  EA realized tappers were none too happy with their melted Ice Gods!”  Let’s all be honest… seeing the melted leg when the snow disappeared this January felt like a let down especially after all the pain of the wheel.

The truth is, the two decorations are not from the same episodes but the Shiva Statue may be EA’s 40 donut apology.  It could also just be a way for EA to add a decoration that makes sense with our new Indian additions to the game and make some money.  Also could just be the programmers like the idea if a Hindu god being in the game.  All depends on your point of view.  I’m going to go with a combination of all three ideas.

Because I realized when I was researching this new decoration that I’d been lazy and not covered a WDTCF for the Ice God during Christmas, I’ll just tell you real quick and move on.  It was a real quick blip in Season 12, Episode 8: “Skinner’s Sense of Snow”.  Apu and family can be seen making it as the Springfield Elementary bus heads towards school.  All of Springfield got a snow day except for the poor students (even all the teachers!).  It’s a great episode.

While I assume that the ice god was also Shiva, there really are several possibilities for it.  The Hindu religion is actually full of multi-armed gods and goddesses.  There are lots of great theories for the multiple arms.  My good friend Anjali (a practicing Hindi and Simpsons fan) sent me this explanation in an e-mail.

“Indian gods have multiple arms to represent their divinity.  We are all multi-armed and multi-faceted in this world of ours.  Each arm of our deities carries something symbolizing their omnipotence.  If you are not Hindi, you could see them as a depiction of God in a moment where time and space are relative.  I hope this clears up your question Joseph.”

So thankful to have friends from all over the world with different backgrounds than my own.  Thanks Anj!  Shiva is one of the most recognized of all the Hindu deities.  Here’s some more great info I found on the BBC.

Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. The triumvirate consists of three gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world. The other two gods are Brahma and Vishnu.

Brahma is the creator of the universe while Vishnu is the preserver of it. Shiva’s role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it.

Hindus believe his powers of destruction and recreation are used even now to destroy the illusions and imperfections of this world, paving the way for beneficial change. According to Hindu belief, this destruction is not arbitrary, but constructive. Shiva is therefore seen as the source of both good and evil and is regarded as the one who combines many contradictory elements.

Shiva is known to have untamed passion, which leads him to extremes in behaviour. Sometimes he is an ascetic, abstaining from all wordly pleasures. At others he is a hedonist.

It is Shiva’s relationship with his wife, Parvati which brings him balance. Their union allows him to be an ascetic and a lover, but within the bounds of marriage.

Hindus who worship Shiva as their primary god are members of the Shaivism sect.

Our new Shiva decoration comes from Season 12, Episode 16: “Bye Bye Nerdie”.  Homer starts his own baby proofing business called Wee Care.  Of course, if you’re gonna fix a house for babies, who has the most?  That’s right, Apu and Manjula with their eight precious children AND precious six-armed statue of Shiva.  How to baby proof a pointy statue of a Hindu god?  Easy… place foam “We’re #1” hands on each appendage of the statue.  Homer also recommends the Nahasapeemapetilons switch to something more round like a Buddha.

While not an appearance of this Shiva statue, I had to share another couple sightings of Shiva in the Best. Show. Ever.  Anyone besides me remember the Paul Bunyan statue turned Shiva outside the Taj Meatball in Season 23, Episode 3: “Adventures in Baby-Getting”?  And lest we forget, according to an image in Season 6, Episode 16: “Bart vs. Australia”, Shiva sits at the center of the Earth and controls all the world and boy are his arms tired.

NERD EXTRA: Shiva isn’t the only Hindi god mentioned in the Simpsons.  Apu has sworn by Shiva and the many arms of Vishnu and mentions Ganesh several times.  It is a statue of Ganesh that Apu prays to in his 45 second TSTO task.

While not a god, Apu has also mentioned Ghandi in a dinner prayer.  For any Simpsons lovers interested in the show and religion, there’s actually a good book on all of it.  I don’t want to be preachy so click this link to schmamazon for more info.

And there you go.  Where our new decoration comes from, some info on Hinduism and Shiva, a delayed origin for a Christmas item that resembled Shiva (except for the melting part) and some extras.  Did you add this to your town? Sound off below if you like.

TTFN… Wookiee out!