Bana Linga

Bana-Linga

Just like the question of the deepest essence of all that exists, Shiva also eludes any determination by the human mind, because for his followers he embodies a truth beyond all conceptualization - in him all contradictions are reconciled.
Thus, in his depiction, preference is decisively given to abstract form, as imagery inevitably means limitation and earthly illusion. The phallic symbol Linga is Shiva's highest and - in the philosophical sense - truest representable form, from which Shiva's power of creation and preservation unfolds.
Thanks to divine benevolence, bana lingas have arisen "from themselves" in the sacred river Narmada. In them, the true essence of all phenomena manifests itself far more directly than in a work created by human hands.