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How Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvati

We know that Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvati. Goddess Parvati is Lord Shiva's Shakti, his power.

Do you know how they got married? The story of their marriage starts with the evil demon – Tarakasura.

Tarakasura was a very powerful demon and had performed severe penances. Neither the humans nor the Devas were powerful enough to defeat Tarakasura. Tarakasura terrorised the Devas and the humans.  Though the Devas tried to fight back, they could not match the demon's power or ferocity.

Unable to fight Tarakasura, all the humans and the Devas went to Lord Brahma for help. That was when Lord Brahma told them that only Lord Shiva's child was powerful enough to destroy the demon Tarakasura.

The Devas were in a fix. Lord Shiva had married Goddess Sati. However since Sati's death, Lord Shiva had retreated to the Himalayas and was deep in penance. His meditation was so deep powerful that he could not be disturbed. 

The Devas then again went to Lord Brahma for help. Brahma asked them to worship Mahadevi, the great Goddess of which Sati was an incarnation.

The Devas worshipped Mahadevi. Mahadevi appeared before them and told the Devas that she would reincarnate and marry Shiva. Their offspring would defeat Tarakasura.

Soon enough Himavat, king of Himalayan Kingdom  and his Queen Menaka had a beautiful girl child. They named the child 'Parvati'. Parvati means 'of the hills'.

Parvati was a beautiful child, full of zest in her childhood. However she was fiercely devoted to Lord Shiva. Even in her childhood she preferred praying to Lord Shiva, instead of playing with her friends.

Parvati was very well educated and very beautiful. Fame of her beauty and intelligence spread throughout the country. Suitors came from different parts of the country to marry her. However Parvati rejected all of them. She wanted to marry Lord Shiva and no one else.

When she repeatedly rejected her suitors her father asked her, 'Parvati, don't you wish to get married? Why do you keep rejecting all the princes who have come?'

Parvati looked defiantly at her father, 'Father, have you seen the princes? She said looking scornfully, 'I cannot marry them...They are not what I want...'

Queen Menaka said quietly, 'Does that mean that there is someone else you