"Sahasralinga" : Where thousands of Shiva Lingas are lying.

You all might have visited temples and worshipped Lord Shiva once in a while. Usually, at a temple, we found one or two Shiv Linga symbols of Lord Shiva. But I am sure you have never heard about the mystery of "Sahasralinga"- a place of thousands of Shiv Linga.

Yes, a place like this exists where we can see thousands of Shiv Linga. They all are at the same place within a few meters of distance near the edge of a river. This mesmerising place is called “Sahasralinga” by their devotees.

Sirsi Taluk, in the northern part of Karnataka, South India a distance of around 18 km, a place named "Sahasralinga” is a pilgrimage site near the river Shalmala. 

Surprisingly there is not one, two or three Lingas, but we can see thousands of Lingas in different shapes, sizes and design carved on the rocks of the river at a short distance.

If we talk about the origins of its name, the word “Sahasra” came from the Sanskrit language, which means 'thousand' and Linga is a manifestation of Lord Shiva. So it became Sahasralinga.

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Back centuries, it was an abandoned place and nobody has ever reached here until it was discovered by ethnologist Jean Boulbet in 1969. After the discovery, it took time to open for visit the place, almost 20 years to open for a safe visit.

However, It is still a mystery. No one knows when and who built this beautiful site. According to historians, these were carved on the orders of the kind Sadashivaraya – the king of Sirsi from 1678-1718, of the Vijayanagar Kingdom.

Each Linga has a Nandi (bull) in front of it. Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva. The duo of Shiva and Nandi can be found all around Indian temples. 

Sahasralinga looks very artistic and beautiful, every time when the water level goes low, it can be clearly seen on the bank of the river. 

On the Hindu holy festival, Shivratri thousands of pilgrims visit this place to pray for their wellness and offer pujas.

Sadly, due to the negligence and lack of restoration by the responsible agencies, many have been submerged or destroyed by tourist activities. Recently, a bridge has been built across the river Shalmala which gives a good view of these sculptures.

some of the mysteries have logical explanations, while some remain stubbornly unsolved. this could be one of them. Nobody knows who build them and why maybe nobody will. 

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