also spelt linga (Sanskrit: sign, distinguishing symbol), in Hinduism, symbol of thShiva, worshipped as an emblem to generate power. The lingam is the main object of worship in Shaivite temples and the private shrines of Shaiva families throughout India. Historically representing the phallus, as sculptures from the early centuries AD make clear, but most Hindus do not think of the lingam in these terms. In fact, the general stylization of the lingam into a smooth cylindrical mass asserts a distinctly aniconic mean-ing quite by contrast to the murtis (deities in image form) that serve otherwise as the most important foci of Hindu worship. This interplay is found in Shaivite temples themselves, where the lingam is apt to be at the centre, surrounded by panoply of murtis. A sexual dimension remains in the most common form in which the lingam appears today, since it has the yoni , symbol of the female sexual organ (and thus of the goddess Shakti, consort of Shiva), as its base. Reminding the devotee that the male and female principles are forever inseparable, the two together represent the totality of all existence. Performed with offerings of milk, water, fresh flowers, young sprouts of grass, leaves, and sun-dried rice, worship of the lingam lays a particular stress on the purity of the materials and the cleanliness of the worship-pers. Among the most important of all lingams are the svayambhuva (self-originated) lingams, which are believed to have come into existence by themselves at the beginning of time; nearly 70 kinds are worshipped in various parts of India. Images of lingams created by hand range from simple ones made of sandal paste or of river clay for a particular rite, and then disposed of, to more elaborate ones of wood, precious gems, metal, or stone. The canons of sculpture lay down exact rules of proportion to be followed for the height, width, and curvature of the top. The mukhalingam has from one to five faces of Shiva carved on its sides and top. Another common icon in South India is the lingabhavamurti , which shows Shiva emerging out of a fiery lingam. This is a representation of the sectarian myth that the gods Vishnu and Brahma were once arguing about their respective importance when Shiva appeared in the form of a blazing pillar to quell their pride. Brahma took the form of a swan and flew upwards to see if he could find the top of the pillar, and Vishnu took the form of a boar and dived below to find its source, but neither was successful, and both were compelled to recognize Shiva's superiority.