A lingam (IAST: liṅga, lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shivain Shaivism.[1] The word lingam is found in the Upanishadsand epic literature, where it means a "mark, sign, emblem, characteristic",[2] the "evidence, proof, symptom" of Shiva and Shiva's power.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The lingam of the Shaivism tradition is a short cylindrical pillar-like symbol of Shiva, made of stone, metal, gem, wood, clay or precious stones.[1][7] It is often represented within a disc-shaped platform,[1][8]the yoni – its feminine counterpart,[9][10] consisting of a flat element, horizontal compared to the vertical lingam, and designed to allow liquid offerings to drain away for collection.[11]
The lingam is an emblem of generative and destructive power. While rooted in representations of the male sexual organ,[12] the lingam is regarded as the "outward symbol" of the "formless reality", the symbolization of merging of the "primordial matter" (Prakṛti) with the "pure consciousness" (Purusha) in the transcendental context.[13] The lingam-yoni iconography symbolizes the merging of microcosmos and macrocosmos,[10] the divine eternal process of creation and regeneration, and the union of the feminine and the masculine that recreates all of existence.[11][14]
The lingam is typically the primary murti or devotional image in Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva, also found in smaller shrines, or as self-manifested natural objects.
More… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingam
Legend… https://www.pradosham.com/originshivlingam.php
Types of lingams for spiritual practice https://www.vedadhara.com/various-types-of-shiva-lingas