In contrast, if you visit any Vishnu temple, you will see that they exude vaibhav and are full of devotees falling over each other to donate money. Some of the richest temples are of Vishnu, who is also the lord of “Maya”.

Treading Shiv’s path, therefore, requires tremendous amount of strength and determination. And it is the Shivganas (attendants of Lord Shiv) who ensure that only the deserving reach him. Shiv and Shakti both love their ganas; Nandi is the first and closest to Shiv. That is why any Sadhak who takes care of Nandi (cow, in the common language) becomes close to Shiv and travels up this path very quickly. This progress, however, is not without hindrances. Other gans – prêt, pisach, and bhoots – who are also very close to Shiv create disturbances for the sadhak to try and mislead him from his path. They actually want to make sure that the sadhak truly desires Lord Shiv.