Arsenal’s Theo Walcott just got a Shiva tattoo and Twitter can’t keep calm

Ahead of the new season, Arsenal forward Theo Walcott debuted a brand-new tattoo which paid homage to one of the highest gods in the Hindu echelon, Lord Shiva.

The Arsenal forward got a tattoo which read ‘Om Namah Shivaay’, which literally translates to ‘salutations to Shiva’. Om Namah Shivaay is sung by devotees in prayers and recited by yogis in meditation.

Lord Shiva is different things for different people and turns up in myriad avatars. For many Hindus (and non-believers), he is the supreme being, one who creates, protects and destroys. He is sometimes depicted as a warrior, slaying demons. At the highest form, he is considered omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, the absolute Brahman (reality) and the primal Atman (soul) of the universe.

Given the state of the internet, there were some hilarious reactions to Theo Walcott’s tattoo. While some thought it was a sign that he was moving to the Chinese Super League (even though Devnagiri looks nothing like Chinese characters), another wondered why Arsenal were ‘turning into Muslims’!

Meanwhile, Indian Twitter users were particularly thrilled with one user joking they ‘always knew right wing was their best position’.

Check out some of the epic tweets on Theo’s new tattoos:

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