Amazing Facts about Shivalinga (Post No.12,924)


Concrete Linga in Chenkal near Thiruvananthapuram

WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Post No. 12,924

Date uploaded in London – –   16 JANURARY 2024                 

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan

xxxx

Where is the tallest Shiv linga in the country?

Maha Mrityunjay Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Hindu God Shiva, situated in Nagaon, Assam, India. This Temple is special in its architectural sense as it is built in a form a Shivling. It is the World’s largest Shivalinga, at the height of 126 foot.

xxxx

What is the meaning of Linga Worship?

“ God is Omnipresent and All-pervasive. By the very nature of these qualities, He cannot have any form. He is, therefore, formless (Arupa). But in order to bless us, He assumes innumerable forms (Rupa). The Linga form in which we worship Isvara is symbolic of both His formlessness and form. It is symbolic of form because it has a particular shape; It is symbolic of formlessness because it has neither head nor limbs. The very conception of a Linga denotes something which has neither beginning nor end; the literal meaning of Linga is symbol.(Kanchi Paramacharaya 1894-1994)

xxxx

Why do we see Lingodbhava Murti in all Tamil Temples?

Isvara assumes various forms in pursuance of His Divine Leela. The prime manifestation with a form of the formless Isvara, is known as the Lingodbhava Moorthi, and He made his appearance in that form exactly at midnight on Sivaratri. That is why all devotees keep vigil during the night of Sivaratri, and worship Isvara at midnight.

xxxx

How Big is the Linga in Thanjavur Big Temple?

29 ft; It is 8.7 m (29 ft) high, occupying two storeys of the sanctum. It is one of the largest monolithic linga sculptures in India. Linga itself is 12 feet tall.

xxxx

 Where is the tallest Shiv linga in Kerala?

Maheshwaram Shiva Parvathi temple, which houses the tallest Shiva lingam in Kerala, having a height of 111 ft, is located in Chenkal village. It is near Thiruvananthapuram .

xxxx

Shiva linga in Water Springs

In many places Shiva Linga is in the midst of a water spring or a tank. This is because Shiva is called ABISHEKA PRIYA (bathing) and Vishnu is called ALANKARA PRIYA (decoration).

Thiruvanaikkaa near Trichy has Jambukeshvar Shiva temple where the Linga is in a water spring. There are similar temples in Sirkazi, Thiruvedakam near Madurai etc.

Xxxx

Natural Wonder- Ice Lingas in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Amarnath is the place in Jammu Kashmir state where a Linga is formed naturally inside a cave. It is made up of ice and it appears in and around August every year and then disappears.

Similar Ice Lingam is formed in a cave near Manali in Himachal Pradesh. It is called Amarnath of Himachal Pradesh. The 25-foot high Shiva lingam made of snow and ice is at Anjani Mahadev Temple.

xxxx

Bhojeswar Mandir

Ashta / Eight Famous Lingas in Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu

The names of the Ashtalingams are:

Indra Lingam (East)

Agni Lingam (South East)

Yama (Ema) Lingam (South)

Niruthi Lingam (South West)

Varuna Lingam (West)

Vayu Lingam (North West)

Kubera Lingam (North)

Esanya Lingam (North East)

During every full moon day lakhs of devotees go round the hill at Tiruvannamalai and they worship all the above eight Lingas in eight different directions.

xxxx

Bhuteswarnath in Chattisgarh.

Sun Light falls on Lingas

Kings of Choza Dynasty were great Shiva Bhaktas. They had clever civil engineers who built temples with many wonders. One of the wonders is to make the sun light enters into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple  so that Sun worships the idol. And Chozas belonged to Sun Race (solar race)

One such temple where the sun rays enter and falls on Shiva Linga in the Garbha Griha is in Karaikurichi near Ariyalur. Sun light falls on the Linga twice a year in Uttarayana and Dakshinayana periods. Every year it happens on the same day in Hindu Calendar.

xxxx

Ghee Linga in Thrissur in Kerala

Since Lord Shiva is ABISHEKA PRIYA (fond of bathing), people pour various liquids on the idol . Thrissur Vadakkunathan temple has the famous Ghee Linga. For centuries , devotees have been bathing the god with clarified butter. Now the linga has disappeared because of the solidified layers of Ghee on the idol.  People take the ghee as Prasad.

xxxx

Linga with holes on the top

Every temple has a special feature in Tamil Nadu. We see Shiva lingas with some peculiarities and stories are told about them. In Thirunallur and Needur we see Lingas with holes on top. In one place it is attributed to Saint Bhringi. He took the form of a beetle and made the whole. In Another temple also similar story is told.

xxxx

Kailash and Shivlinga Mountain

In the Himalayan range we come across hills which look like huge Shiva Lingas. Hindus give importance to such places. We have Linga shaped Mt. Kailash and mountain shaped like Linga in the Himalayas. It is called Shivling Mountain.

xxxx

Koti Linga and Sahasra Linga

We come across innumerable Lingas in certain places and they are called Koti Lingas. If they carve 1000 squares with Linga figure in one single shiva stone,  it is called Sahasra Linga. Many temples have Sahasra Lingas.

xxxx

Linga Story is a long story; we will look at more lingas and their stories in another article.

—subham—

Tags – shiv linga, Linga worship, Strange  facts, tallest

Leave a comment

Leave a comment