Metal Shiva Statues from India and Nepal. The most popular type of Shiva Statue is that of Dancing Shiva, also known as Shiva Nataraja. These statues are often seen at temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, but are appropriate for home altars as well. In this Lord of the Dance statue, Shiva is stepping upon the demon of ignorance, one leg crossing his body and one arm crossing his chest in the pose of energy.

The second most common form of statue has the Hindu God Shiva sitting in meditation, sitting upon a tiger skin rug. Another image has Shiva "wearing" an elephant skin (in statues, he is usually seen standing upon the crumpled skin of an elephant demon).

Another common depiction of Shiva is as the lingam, which is a representation of a phallus. This association is almost certainly derived from pre-Hindu fertility gods who have been synthesized into Lord Shiva. There are "hybrid" statues that feature a sculpture of a phallus with the face of Shiva engraved on the shaft.