The lingam (also linga, ling, Shiva linga, Shiv ling, ,, meaning "mark", "sign", or "inference") is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples. In traditional Indian society, the linga is rather seen as a symbol of the energy and potential of God, Shiva himself. The lingam is often represented alongside the yoni, a symbol of the goddess or of Shakti, female creative energy. The union of lingam and yoni represents the "indivisible two-in-oneness of male and female, the passive space and active time from which all life originates". Linga represents Cosmic Egg ('Brahmanda' in Sanskrit) who has no beginning nor end. It is believed that this changing world ('Jagat' in Sanskrit) merges or dissolves into the Formless in the end. So, the Linga is the simplest sign of emergence and mergence.
