Shiva Lingams

Shiva lingams, the genuine ones, appear in the bed of the Narmada River in India. They simply emerge from under the river encased in a crusty shell that has to be chipped away to reveal the oval-shaped rock. I had never seen one or even heard of them before coming to Adi Da Samraj. Some of my earliest projects for Adi Da were the carving of three bases for the Shiva Lingams that he collected during his visit to India in 1973.

One of the advantages of serving and caring for traditional art was that I was exposed to and immersed in the art of India and the East. I had never developed any familiarity, and so no appreciation for much of the art of India. There is purpose in the images and forms of the traditional art of the world's cultures, and this is certainly true of the traditional art of India, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas. In Hinduism the Shiva Lingam represents the male force, or consciousness. The base in which the Shiva Lingam rests represents the yoni or female force, or as Adi Da said, "the very power and motion of the universe". The yoni receives and grounds the lingam.

Shiva Lingams don't appear in a variety of shapes...they are ellipsoid. But they do come in a plethora of sizes. I have made bases for 1" Shiva Lingams, and I have made them for lingams larger than three feet...and they get substantially heavier by the inch!

Shiva Lingam bases are often made so that the lingam can be washed and anointed in the base. There is usually a depression cut into the top of the base which directs the water to a spout from which the milk or water may be caught in a vessel placed under the spout.

When making a lingam base I hunt down a beautiful piece of hardwood. I have used cocobolo (a type of rosewood), East Indian rosewood, olive wood burl, desert iron wood, and other beautiful woods. I love the simplicity of the work. It requires only a few tools, a gouge or two, a mallet, and some sandpaper will do if you have patience.