The Lingam is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu deity Shiva, used for worship in temples and smaller shrines. In traditional Indian society, the lingam is seen as a symbol of the energy and potential of Shiva himself.
The lingam is often represented alongside the yoni a symbol of the goddess Shakti, indicating female creative energy.
The union of lingam and yoni represents the indivisible two-in-oneness of male and female, the passive space and active time from which all life originates.
IWhen the stones are used together, the lingam and yoni are called the linga-yoni. The Shiva Lingam is placed inside of the yoni stone to represent the eternal workings of creation and renewal. The yoni is worshipped in an annual fertility festival in India that celebrates the Earth’s regeneration and fertility.
Lingam-yonis have been recovered from the archaeological sites at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, part of the Indus Valley Civilisation. There is strong evidence to support cultural continuation from the Indus Valley Civilisation to Vedic and modern Hindu practices.