What is the best Lord Shiva t‑shirt to buy in India?

The best Lord Shiva t-shirt is one where the art is clear enough to read from across a room, on 100% cotton you can wear through a long temple day, in a cut you already like. At ZOJO that's four Shiva designs at Rs 699 each, and the right one depends on whether you want a loud festival print, the mantra in Devanagari or a calm meditating Shiva.

Our four Lord Shiva designs

All four are on the Lord Shiva t-shirts page, and the wider spiritual t-shirts range adds Buddha and Kalyug designs. They're regular crew-neck tees in 100% cotton at 180 GSM, with the print on the front.

Har Har Mahadev has HAR HAR MAHADEV in orange letters across the top. Under it Shiva sits in meditation with a trishul and damru, a big Om and a full moon behind him and Nandi at his side. A shivling with flowers and a lit diya sits in front. It comes in orange, white and black, XS to 3XL.

Om Namah Shivay Shiv Ji is the one where he's standing. He holds a trishul with flames on it and wears a tiger skin and rudraksha, with mountains, a moon and a golden Om behind. OM NAMAH SHIVAY is written above the art and HAR HAR MAHADEV below it, both in gold. Orange, black or white, XS to 3XL.

Om Namah Shivaya puts the mantra in pale blue Devanagari across the chest. Below it Shiva sits cross-legged with his face turned up, a crescent moon in his hair and an Om in gold lines behind him. The print is blue and gold with no box around it. Black or white, S to XXL.

Cosmic Consciousness is the quietest. A flat blue Shiva sits cross-legged holding a small galaxy, with an eye inside a pink mandala above his head. COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS is on top and INFINITE WITHIN at the bottom. White or black, S to XXL.

Which one for which day

For Mahashivratri, Sawan or a Kanwar group, go for Har Har Mahadev or Om Namah Shivay in orange. Both are big framed prints and they look right in a crowd.

For a normal Monday, college or a casual office, take Om Namah Shivaya in black or Cosmic Consciousness in white. The art is calmer and there's less text.

If the person reads Hindi, the Devanagari mantra on Om Namah Shivaya may mean more to them than an English line.

If you want to know what the trishul, the third eye and the mantra stand for before you pick, we wrote about that in what our Shiva and Buddha tees mean.

Regular, oversized or terry

Three of the four designs also come in two looser fits. You pick the fit on the product page.

• Regular, Rs 699: 100% cotton, 180 GSM. Light, close to the body, fine for an Indian summer.
• Oversized, Rs 899: 100% cotton, 240 GSM, dropped sleeves and extra length. For example, Har Har Mahadev oversized. Black or white, XS to XXL.
• Terry oversized, Rs 999: 90% cotton and 10% polyester at 260 GSM, a thicker knit that holds a boxy shape. For example, Om Namah Shivaya terry. Black or white, XS to XXL.

Cosmic Consciousness is regular fit only for now. If you're stuck between the cuts, regular fit vs oversized walks through how each one sits. Every terry tee we make, Shiva or not, is on the terry oversized page.

What to check before you buy any Shiva tee

These apply to any store, not only ours.

1. Look at the print on a person. A god print that is too small looks like a sticker, and one that is too big folds at the belly. You want to see where it sits on the chest.
2. Read the fabric line. It should give the fibre and the weight. 180 GSM cotton is a light everyday tee, 240 GSM is heavier and 260 GSM terry is thicker still.
3. Check the colour against the art. Orange letters pop on black and white, and the blue and gold art looks best on black.
4. Ask how the print is done and how to wash it. Ours should be washed inside out in cold water, dried on low heat and turned inside out before ironing. There's more in how to wash printed t-shirts.
5. Read the returns before you pay. Ours is 7 days from delivery for a full refund, for any reason, and a wrong size is swapped for free. The full policy is on the exchange and returns page.

Price and delivery

Every regular Shiva tee is Rs 699 with GST and shipping included. Right now the launch offer gives any 2 regular tees for Rs 1,199 or 3 for Rs 1,749, so you can mix two Shiva designs and the price shows in your bag.

We print your tee after you order. It ships within 24-48 working hours, and most orders arrive in 5-8 working days, up to 10 for Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. For a festival date, order about 10 days ahead. You can pay in full online, or pay 20% now and the rest to the courier.

Looking for Buddha, Hanuman or the Kalyug terry tee as well? They're in the full Mystic collection. For Hanuman, Narasimha and Garuda side by side, see which god t-shirt to buy.

Which Lord Shiva t-shirt is best for Mahashivratri?

Har Har Mahadev or Om Namah Shivay Shiv Ji in orange. Both have big framed prints of Shiva with the chant written on them, and both come in orange, black or white.

Are ZOJO's Lord Shiva t-shirts oversized?

The four on the Lord Shiva page are regular fit. Har Har Mahadev, Om Namah Shivay Shiv Ji and Om Namah Shivaya also come as a 240 GSM oversized tee for Rs 899 and a 260 GSM terry oversized tee for Rs 999.

What sizes do the Shiva tees come in?

Har Har Mahadev and Om Namah Shivay Shiv Ji regular go from XS to 3XL. Om Namah Shivaya and Cosmic Consciousness regular go from S to XXL. The oversized and terry versions run XS to XXL. The size chart is the last photo on each product page.

Can women wear these Shiva t-shirts?

Yes. All of them are unisex. For a looser look in the regular tee, check the chest on the size chart and go one size up.

Is a Lord Shiva t-shirt a good gift?

It's a good gift for someone who already wears Shiva or chants the mantra. If you don't know their size, the regular tee is the safer cut, and a wrong size is exchanged for free within 7 days of delivery.