One of the oldest surviving stone Śiva Liṅgas known.
A remarkable survivor of India’s ancient Shaiva tradition.
Gudimallam Parasurameswara Temple, near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, is home to one of the oldest known surviving stone Śiva Liṅgas in India.
What makes the Gudimallam Liṅga extraordinary is its unique form: Shiva is carved as an anthropomorphic figure standing upon the phallic Liṅga, holding a parashu (battle-axe), with a small deer associated with Him. The sculpture is generally dated by scholars to the early centuries BCE, although its exact date remains debated.
