LINGGA YONI

Pranamya Çirasa Linggam
Divya Linggam Maheçwaram
Sarwa Dewatidevanam
Tasmai Linggaya vain amah

(I bow my head before Bhatara Lingga. He is the greatest and highest God. In the presence of Bhatara Lingga my respect is directed)

In common Balinese language, Lingga means a place to sit. In archeological understanding, Lingga is a kind of building that in former times functioned as a place to worship Bhatara Çiwa. The worship of Lingga as a place for Bhatara Çiwa developed in Bali from the 9th through 13th centuries at the height of the Warmadewa Dynasty. After the Dalem period, Lingga were rarely used as media to worship Bhatara Çiwa and were replaced by statue of the God concerned.

Besides serving as a place to worship Bhatara Çiwa, the Lingga is also symbol of a mountain; in fact, mountains themselves are sometimes referred to as Linggacala, meaning 'static lingga'. Both Lingga and mountains function as places of God.

In Bali, Lingga are found in the mountain areas around Lake Beratan, Candi Kuning, Pucak Mangu, Pucak Bon Besakih, Tampaksiring, Pejeng, etc.  A most unique Lingga is the one in the ceruk (niche or cave) east of Goa Gajah, where there are actually three Lingga in a row with only a single Yoni (usually, each Lingga has one Yoni as its base).

Lingga have various names depending on the material used. For example, Lingga made of stone are called Linggaphala, while those made of gold are called Kanaka Lingga and those made of jewels, Sphatika Lingga. There are also Lingga made of cow’s dung mixed with milk, called Gomaya Lingga and those made of ritual offering material, called Dewa Dewi. The Lingga found in Balinese temples are usually made of stone or Linggaphala. Many of them are used as worship media.

Lingga can be divided into four parts, that is:

1. The rounded peak, called Çiwabhaga, symbol and place of God Shiva (Batara  Çiva).
2. The octagonally shaped center, called Wisnubhaga, symbol of the God Wisnu.
3. A rectangular bottom, called Brahmabhaga, symbol of the God Brahma.
4. The base or foundation where the Lingga is erected, is normally a rectangular shape, one side of which has a channel for water to flow like a fountain. This base, known as the Yoni, is a symbol of Pertiwi/Pradana (land/femininity). Whereas, Çiwabhaga, Wisnubhaga and Brahmabhaga are symbols of Purusha (masculinity) and therefore, shaped like a phallus.

The meeting point of Lingga and Yoni is the meeting of earth and sky, which results in fertility. So, Lingga is symbolic of a place of God (Çiwa) in its manifestation as source of fertility.

In the past, when people wanted their rice fields to be fertile they held a ceremony that was followed by watering a Lingga from the peak so that the water flowed to the bottom through Wisnubhaga and Brahmabhaga. Then the water was poured through the Yoni and distributed through the fountain of the Yoni. Finally, the water was contained in a bowl, ready to be splashed into the rice field as Holy Water to fertilize the rice field.

Similarly, when couples had been married for a long time but had no children yet, they would do the same thing to fertilize the womb and sperm.