According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is one of the three supreme gods. There is an interesting story behind the of appearance of Lord Shiva. One day, Brahma and Vishnu were arguing which among them is more powerful. At the same time, a massive, fiery pillar appeared. The roots and branches of the tree extended beyond the view of the earth and sky.
Both Vishnu and Brahma ran to find the start and end of the pillar. Brahma turned himself into a goose and flew to the top of the pillar and Vishnu turned into a boar and dug the earth to look for the roots.
Just then, Lord Shiva emerged from an opening in the pillar. Recognizing Lord Shiva’s great power, Both Brahma and Vishnu accepted that Shiva is the third Supreme God, who is true ruler universe.