Awe-inspiring world's tallest Shiva Lingam at Maheswaram Shiva-Parvati temple, Kerala

Navrang India September 15, 2020
tallest Shiva Lingam, near TV. Puram, Kerala indianexpress.com

Tallest Shiva Lingam at Maheswaram temple, T.V.Puram kerala, helloap.com/

Relegating other tallest lingams in India to the next levl, Kerala  state now boasts of the tallest Shiva Ligam in the world  measuring 111.2-feet with 50 feet in diameter  at Maheswaram Sri Shiva Parvathy temple, Chenkal in Thiruvananthapuram district. It has 8 floors, representing   six Chakras or centers of energy in the human  body. Atop the structure, the devotees can see - Kailasam and the snow-clad idols of  Shiva and Parvati,  a replica of  the Himalayan abode of God Shiva. Now awaiting recognition from the Guinness  Book of World Records. Earlier, the 108- foot tall Shiva Lingam at Kotilingeshwara Temple in Kolar District, Karnataka was the tallest in the country. This awe-inspiring temple is just a 45-minute drive from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.  This was opened to public on 4 March 2019 on the day of Shivaratri.

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala,maps-india.com

Unlike other lingams, this one is  not a hollow and sculptured structure, rather a cylindrical edifice with  eight floors inside and the pilgrims can access all of them.  The pathway  from the bottom to the top is adorned with murals and statues of meditating  monks in a cave-like place invoking the Himalayan ambiance. The first floor of the lingam has 108 Shiva lingams, where devotees can offer ‘abhishekam.’ There are  six cave-line halls at the energy centers  and the visitors can meditate here and congenial interior provides an ample opportunity for people to get into a trance like situation.  The top most floor features a grand lotus with 1000 petals symbolizing ‘sahasrara chakra’(1000 discs/wheels) or pure bliss in terms of yoga.

 The construction of the tallest lingam was a laborious and time-consuming process that began in earnest in 2012. It took more than 6 years to complete the process.  Part of the reason was the ingenious planners got water, sand and soil from various  renowned holy places including Kashi, Gangotri, Rishikesh, Rameswaram, Badrinath, Gomukh, and Kailash across the country  and mixed them  with the construction materials  thus sanctifying this place and converting it into a holy place of divinity.  

The temple authorities were keen to be in touch with  the central government to  declare it  as a national pilgrim center as this unique Shiva Lingam  represents a center for meditation exemplifying in the area of spiritual energy preservation. Further, it is the only temple in the world, where devotees can worship 12 Jyothirlingam of Lord Shiva and 32 forms of Lord Ganesha at one place.

https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/sivaparvathi-temple-tallest-shiva-lingam-kerala/

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kerala-now-has-indias-tallest-shiva-lingam-5534129/