καιρός remembered

In all shapes and sizes

Shiva’s creative presence can be felt everywhere in nature, not just in the temples and shrines dedicated to him. A rock may inspire someone to carve a relief of a lingam and yoni into it, as we can see in the photograph above, complete with worshippers on either side.

Any smooth, natural stone can, in the eyes of the observer, become a lingam and thus be worthy of a small offering or prayer. Here, someone has taken the trouble to arrange a circle of stones around a central stone, and so we have another lingam and yoni. Every passer-by can delight in this natural manifestation of Shiva. The old 10-paisa coin in the circle shows that it has been a while since I last passed this way.

And here, all it took was to carefully set a few stones upright to create a small altar for Shiva.

And then there’s this stone, cosily nestled in the recess of a boulder: Shiva and Parvati, united in supreme bliss!

Photo of the week: Rock at Thungabadra river, Hampi, Karnataka, India 2014