The famous Indian aniconic lingam is an emblem of the cosmic generative prowess. No wonder it is referred to as the Shivalinga, the Lord Shiva being the presiding deity over cosmic destruction and regeneration. The Shivalinga that you see on this page has been sculpted out of hard granite, of an earthy ashen colour. It is a smooth cylindrical mass, highly differentiated in its aniconism from the lifelike iconography of the Hindoo pantheon.
The Shivalingam emerges from an aperture surrounded by a close-lipped discoid structure. It is the yoni, the symbol of Devi Shakti, as the lingam is the symbol of Lord Shiva. It opens out at one point in the arc, the mouth jutting out frontally. In this sculpture, this section of the Shivalingam is especially long. Traditionally, the Shivalingam has been worshipped with milk-baths, so this part of the yoni is where the thick white fluid pours forth after having travelled down the lingam.
The yoni-lingam ensemble is poised on a miniature pedestal in keeping with traditional Indian iconography. The same is engraved with fine pristine lines that give the impression of lotus petals. Engravings of a similar nature are to be found on the main lingam. The same comprises of typical Shaivite motif of three rows of vibhuti (sacred ash) and a third instrument of vision.
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