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Written by Web Master
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Thursday, 27 March 2008 |
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The Lingam (also, Linga, Shiva linga Sanskrit liṅgaṃ, meaning "mark," or "sign,") is a symbol for the worship of the Hindu god Shiva. While its origins are debated, the use of this symbol for worship is an ancient tradition in India extending back at least to the early Indus Valley civilization. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 27 March 2008 )
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Lingam as a symbol of Shiva |
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Written by Web Master
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Thursday, 27 March 2008 |
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A. L. Basham says that linga have been found in the Harappan remains, and provides these comments relating to the antiquity of the symbol: "... Shiva was and still is chiefly worshipped in the form of the liṅga, usually a short cylindrical pillar with rounded top, which is the survival of a cult older than Indian civilization itself.... The cult of the liṅga, at all times followed by some of the non-Āryan peoples, was incorporated into Hinduism around the beginning of the Christian era, though at first it was not very important." |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 27 March 2008 )
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Written by Web Master
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Thursday, 27 March 2008 |
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In Hindu Dharma, Bansi Pandit explains that "Shivalinga consists of three parts. The bottom part which is four-sided remains under ground, the middle part which is eight-sided remains on a pedestal and the top part which is actually worshipped is round. The height of the round part is one-third of its circumference. The three parts symbolize Brahma at the bottom, Vishnu in the middle and Shiva on the top. The pedestal is provided with a passage for draining away the water that is poured on top by devotees. The linga symbolizes both the creative and destructive power of the Lord and great sanctity is attached to it by the devotees." |
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Naturally Occurring Lingams |
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Written by Web Master
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Thursday, 27 March 2008 |
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A lingam at Amarnath in the western Himalayas forms every winter from ice dripping on the floor of a cave and freezing like a stalagmite. It is very popular with pilgrims. There is a great connection in marking the forces of nature to be worshipped. The following description has various forms of nature being worshipped as Linga. |
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Written by Web Master
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Thursday, 27 March 2008 |
- Basham, A. L. The Wonder That Was India: A Survey of the Culture of the Indian Sub-Continent Before The Coming of the Muslims, Grove Press, Inc., New York (1954; Evergreen Edition 1959).
- Schumacher, Stephan and Woerner, Gert. The encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and religion, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, Hinduism, Shambhala, Boston, (1994) ISBN 0-87773-980-3
- Ram Karan Sharma. Śivasahasranāmāṣṭakam: Eight Collections of Hymns Containing One Thousand and Eight Names of Śiva. With Introduction and Śivasahasranāmākoṣa (A Dictionary of Names). (Nag Publishers: Delhi, 1996). ISBN 81-7081-350-6. This work compares eight versions of the Śivasahasranāmāstotra. The Preface and Introduction (in English) by Ram Karan Sharma provide an analysis of how the eight versions compare with one another. The text of the eight versions is given in Sanskrit.
- Details in the section of "Shiv Linga" has been taken from WikiPedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingam )
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