Shiva Lingam

Alternate Names & Name Spellings: linga, ling, Shiva linga,

The Shiva Lingam stone is a sacred stone in the Hindu culture that is in it’s naturally occurring form. They are collected at the banks of the Narmada river once a year. This very rare and powerful stone comes exclusively from the Narmada River in Onkar, Mandhata, one of India’s seven sacred holy sites. It is of high significance in the Hindu culture because it’s markings symbolize those on the forehead of Lord Shiva. They are formed by a mineral called Cryptocrystalline Quartz, which is said in lore to have been implanted in the riverbed by a meteorite millions of years ago.

 

**Lingams are carved or styled from a wide variety of materials such as stone, wood, gold, silver, mercury, crystal etc., but there is one type of Lingam which is revered and sought after above all others – this is the naturally formed stone Narmadeshvara (Lord of the Narmada).**

 

Once a year, after the long dry season and just before the beginning of the monsoon season, when the river is at it’s lowest, the villagers, working with oxen and rope, go out into the riverbed and pull the stones from the water. The stones are then hand polished, a large one taking several months to complete. These stones occur in all sizes, from smaller than a dime to larger than a man. About twenty to thirty very large pieces are taken from the river each year.

 

 

Narmada River is, according to Hindu mythology, one of the seven most sacred rivers of India*. It was born out of Lord Shiva’s sweat when he performed his cosmic Tandava dance**. 

 

 

The banks of Narmada are lined with temples and bathing Ghatts. It flows through beautifull landscapes, holy cities, from Amarkantak (“Neck of Shiva”), which is the source of the river through Mandla, Dhuandar Falls (the river drops 25m at this place), Bhedaghat (marble rocks), Hoshangabad, Omkareshwar (OM-shaped island with two of the famous Jyotir Lingam temples, Omkareswara and Amaleswara) and Maheshwara.

Sugarcane, cotton and bananas grow along the river.

 

It is said that these Lingams were created millions of years ago when a meteorite collided with the earth at what is now the source of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh, a mountainous province some 300 miles northeast of Bombay, India.

The tremendous heat of the collision caused a fusion of the ambient rock and the meteoric material. Over the ages a river began to flow through this area and the combination of these factors produced the unique condition in which pieces of the fused matter, revolving in the river bed over thousands of years took on the distinct ovoid form. The oval form is markedly different from the flatter, thinner rocks normally appearing in the river bed.

These pillar or egg shaped stones are called LINGAMS (literally “sign” or “characteristic” in Sanskrit language). To certain groups of the Hindu Religion, the stones are considered to symbolize or even represent directly, the Transcendental Being, the Living God, Divine Existence, Divine Consciousness and Divine Bliss (Satchitananda). According to the Skanda Purana, and ancient Hindu scripture, the Lingam represents the all-pervading space in which the whole universe is in the process of creation and dissolution. Other groups consider the Lingam, with its phallic form to be symbolic of the generative force of life itself.

Once a year, after a long dry season and just before the beginning of the monsoon, when the river is at its lowest, the villagers, working with oxen and rope, go out onto the river bed and pull the stones from the water. The stones are then hand polished, a large one taking several months to complete. About twenty to thirty large pieces are taken from the river each year.

 

 

The density of the Narmadeshvara Lingam is close to emerald. The red markings you see on the stones are the meteorite material and are considered spiritually auspicious. The red markings also represent the energizing female energy which arouses the masculine urge to create. The markings vary from what appears to be a pair of parted lips to wide strong brush marks extending around the entire perimeter of the Lingam. No two stones are alike.

*MEANINGS AND SYMBOLISM OF SHIVA LINGAMS: It has been highly venerated and used extensively throughout history for both worship and ritual.

The shiva lingam represents both male and female, as well as the cosmic egg from which all creation emerged.

This stone resonates with energies of all the elements – Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Stone.

Use shiva lingam to:

• Charge the entire chakra system
• Activate kundalini energies
• Boost vitality
• Enhance inner transformation
• Break up old patterns and open the path for new life
• Help to feel unity, even during times of separation
• Healers use shiva lingams to treat impotence, infertility, strengthen and balance the whole body.
• The actual physical properties of the stone (both in shape and material) are said to give theNarmadeshvara Lingam a supreme ability to hold vibrational force and power.
  

  Shiva Lingam available at We Rock Rocks Tampa, Fl

Traditionally the stones are set in an upright position with most of the markings being on the upper half.

The strong, graceful lines of the Lingams are an expression of an ageless and universal beauty and the lingam’s natural and religious history gives them the mystery of an object that will be appreciated forever.

 

composition	Cryptocrystalline Quartz
name source	marking symbolize those on the forehead of Lord Shiva
other accepted names	linga, ling, Shiva linga
history	The oldest example of a lingam which is still used for worship is in Gudimallam and dates to the 2nd century BC
naturally occurring shiva	An ice lingam at Amarnath in the western Himalayas forms every winter from ice dripping on the floor of a cave and freezing like a stalagmite.
color	tan and / or gray stones with various reddish brown markings
color source	The red markings you see on the stones are the meteorite material
significant sources	Narmada River in Western India
MOH scale	7
energy	Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Stone.

Interesting Facts:

The Narmadeshvara Lingam appeared on the cover of House and Garden magazine in June 1984 and on the cover of Architectural Digest in May 1985.

If you remember the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the Shiva is the sacred stone they were searching for.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Jones_and_the_Temple_of_Doom

We have many sizes of Shiva Lingams(as well as a huge selection of rocks, minerals, fossils, crystals and more, from the natural rough form through handmade jewelry).
If you’d like to know more about our assortment,
please call us at 941-915-1046
or visit us at one of our fun flea market venues :

Big Top Flea Market booth x404 off of I75 and Fowler Ave, Tampa Florida on Saturdays and Sundays and Webster East Side Flea Market Booth B77&79 on Mondays. All others time and days by special request.

*This is for information purposes only. The information  is not intended to replace proper medical care. No claims are made. These alleged powers are gathered from writing, books, folklore, personal testimonies, experiences and various sources.