The Form and Formlessness of Śiva: The Linga in Indian Art, Mythology, and Pilgrimage1
The linga is well-known as the dominant emblem of the Hindu god Śiva. This article seeks to provide an accessible survey of the mythology and iconography of the linga, and the scholarly discussion about them. It considers some of the ancient objects that scholars have identified as lingas, reflectin...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2009
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| In: |
Religion compass
Year: 2009, Volume: 3, Issue: 3, Pages: 440-458 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The linga is well-known as the dominant emblem of the Hindu god Śiva. This article seeks to provide an accessible survey of the mythology and iconography of the linga, and the scholarly discussion about them. It considers some of the ancient objects that scholars have identified as lingas, reflecting on the methodological challenges involved in their interpretation. It also considers major narrative, theological, and pilgrimage traditions surrounding lingas, as preserved in the Pur?ṇas, and some of the prescriptions for their construction and installation, as outlined in ?gamas and reflected in current practice. The author suggests, moreover, that linga worship may have played an important role in the trans-regional spread and consolidation of Śaivism as we know it. |
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| ISSN: | 1749-8171 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion compass
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-8171.2009.00141.x |