One-faced linga

Temples devoted to the Hindu god Shiva often contain in their innermost sanctums a linga, or phallic emblem, of this god. While most are plain in appearance, some, like this example, depict the face of Shiva. Shiva’s association with the phallus derives from his asceticism. In ancient India ascetics were thought capable of attaining extraordinary powers—sometimes rivaling those of the gods—through meditation, austerities, and strict selfdenial. Because their practices included celibacy and strict control of reproductive fluids, the upright phallus came to represent accumulated stores of energy and creative ability. Shiva, the foremost of ascetics, possesses powers vast enough to generate creation. The linga refers both to this ability and to asceticism’s potential rewards, which include escaping the unhappy cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

A linga that originally had four faces can be seen in Gallery 3.