Significance of the Shiva Lingam

[Guest guest]

Bhrama is absorbed into the right, Vishnu to the left and Gayatri into the

heart. The Shivalingam is also a representation of the infinite Cosmic Column

of fire, whose origins, Vishnu and Bhrama were unable to trace. Legend has it

that Parvati fashioned a Shivalingam with a fistful of sand at Kanchipuram and

worshipped Shiva; this lingam is known as the Prithvilingam, denoting the

primordial element earth. Shivalingams in several temples are swayambus, or

that which appeared on their own, or that which is untouched by a chisel. On

the other hand, there are temples where the Shivalingam is carved out of stone

and installed. The highly polished Shivalingams of the Pallava period bear

several stripes, as in the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram. The Shivalingam

is generally mounted on a circular or quadrangular receptacle called the

Avudaiyar. This pedestal is designed so as to drain off the water offered

during ablution ceremonies. In temples such as Kanchipuram, abhishekam is

offered only to the pedestal and not to the Shivalingam made of sand. The

bottom of the pedestal represents Bhrama, the octogonal middle represents

Vishnu and the upper circular portion represents Shiva. The upper portion of

the Shivalingam may be of various shapes, cylindrical, elliptical, umbrella

shaped. Images may also be (rarely) carved on a Shivalingam. Nandi, the bull is

depicted facing the sanctum in all Saivite temples, symbolizing the human soul

Jeevatma yearning for realizing its oneness with Paramatma, the ultimate

reality. Typically, the processional bronze images of Shiva are those of

Somaskanda, Chandrasekhara, Bhikshatana and Nataraja. Although in most Shiva

temples, the central shrine enshrining the Shivalingam is of the greatest

importance, the Nataraja shrine is of greater importance at Chidambaram, the

Somaskandar - Tyagarajar shrine is of greater significance at Tiruvarur.

lakshmi

Enjoy this Diwali with Y! India Click here