Ekamukha Lingam

The lingam presents a blissful face of Lord Siva, adorned with single beaded necklace (ekavali), circular ear tops and jata mukuta. The jatas are flowing on his shoulders. The jatamukuta is bedecked with the crescent moon. The vertical third eye is on the forehead. The two Shaivite myths, the one of Siva turning into a post, the other of his tearing off the phallus, were translated into the stone in the visual form of the lingam. The lingam symbolizes the presence ofthe invisible and transcendental reality of Siva. The Siva lingam occupies a prominent place in the Siva worship. Usually these are installed in the central place of the Siva temple.