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Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for sign. As well as being used as a symbol, the term is used for a representation of the male sexual organ, associated with the worship of the Hindu God Shiva. A stone lingam is a naturally occurring ovular stone, also associated with Hinduism. The term is not used in the Vedas but used frequently in the Mahabharata.
The linga (sign) is a symbol of Shiva, just as the cross (logos) is a symbol of Christ. The linga is not a symbol of the penis, but instead represents the fertility of Nature. Since God is without form, the linga represents Shiva or God. Many educated Hindus consider it wrong to worship images of Shiva himself.
Other occurances of this practise occur in Arabia with the Black Stone of Mecca, the Omphalos of the Greeks, and the Ben Ben stones of Heliopolis, Egypt.
See also yoni.
Please see also The Siva-Linga A Symbol Which Points To An Inference Please see excerpt of Swami Sivananda's All about Hinduism, available on the web at http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.htm#_VPID_110
References
- Schumacher, Stephan and Woerner, Gert The encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and religion, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, Hinduism Shambala, Boston, (1994) ISBN 0-87773-980-3