Linga
(“mark,” “sign”) Aside from the word’s
literal meaning as any emblematic sign,
linga is also the name for the pillar-
shaped form of the god Shiva.
Representing Shiva as the power of gen-
eration itself, from which men and
women derive their procreative force,
the linga is sometimes simplistically
called a “phallic” symbol. An equally
important part of the linga’s image is the
base (pitha) in which the shaft is placed,
a base which represents the female
organs of generation. The Gudimallam
linga, the oldest known image of Shiva
in this form, shows him as male and
female, transcending the most basic
defining factor of human identity.
Lingaraja Temple
Largest and most important of the tem-
ples in the city of Bhubaneshvar, dedi-
cated to the god Shivain his aspect as
Tribhuvaneshvar, the “Lord of the Three
Worlds.” The temple was built in the
eleventh century C.E., representing the
high point of the Orissan branch of the
Nagaraarchitectural style. The temple
building culminates in one single, high-
est point over the image of the temple’s
primary deity, with shorter subsidiary
buildings leading up to it. The Lingaraja
temple shows all the elements of the
Orissan style: a beehive-shaped tower
(deul) soaring 120 feet high, fronted by a
dance hall (natamandira), traditionally
used for performances, an entrance hall
(jagamohan), and an outer entrance
hall (bhogamandapa).Lingayat
Kannada-speaking religious community
whose members are devotees (bhakta)
of the god Shiva, and who mainly live in
the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
Lingayat roots began in the seventh cen-
tury with the Nayanarpoet-saints in
Tamil Nadustate, migrating northward.
The community’s founder was the poet-
saint Basavanna; others includedLinga
The Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneshvar. Built in the eleventh century,
the temple exemplifies the Orissan branch of the Nagara architectural style.