Lord Shiva, meaning "The Auspicious One'', is one of the main Hindu deities - and he has a temper.
His temper is expressed in Shiv Tandav, an Indian classical dance to be performed by Oamaru 12-year-olds Rhea Ratgali and Vannisah Ramu, both St Joseph's School pupils, at a multicultural concert at the Oamaru Opera House tomorrow.
"He gets very aggressive,'' Rhea said.
"That's his way to cool down. It's a very aggressive dance itself, with a lot of expressions.''
Rhea has performed at the Oamaru Opera House since she was 5.
She has performed in all six Oamaru multicultural concerts and has performed from Dunedin to Christchurch.
Shiv Tandav is often performed in large groups, but the two girls, who have been learning Indian classical dance for about three years, are the only two performers in Oamaru.
The girls are taught by Rhea's mother, Josephine Ratgali, who learned Indian classical dance when she grew up in southern India.
"We are a very small town, so we don't have many Indians here [in Oamaru],'' she said.
Rhea said she took pride in her Indian heritage when she danced, and for her it was a celebration of all things Indian - the people, the food, the sport.
"India is all in one. It's got a little bit of everything that every country has,'' she said.
"They've got their own foods, their states, their talents ... their cricket, hockey, all their sports.
"I feel great to be an Indian, and I feel proud about my country.''
The Waitaki Multicultural Council's Sandra Tonkin, who co-organised the concert with Safer Waitaki's Helen Algar, said while cultural diversity, bringing the community together and "sharing different cultures'' were a significant part of the concert, this year there would be a focus on promoting violence-free communities and celebrating Race Relations Day, which falls on March 21.
"Our biggest challenge is how we choose to live our lives and what kind of country we let New Zealand become. This Race Relations Day we are asking all Kiwis to welcome and get to know the people in your community. What you do makes all the difference,'' she said.
The multicultural concert at the Opera House, an Oamaru mainstay since 2009, had sold out in past years and this year performers would represent New Zealand, South America, the Pacific Islands, Poland, the Philippines, Scotland, India, Indonesia, "and much more''.
