Siva is principally worshipped under the fonn of the linga. Some of these lingams, usually of basalt or dark-coloured greenstone, are of an enormous size; but they are also made, morning and evening, of clay of the Ganges, and after worship are thrown into the river. The linga ia never carried in procession. The temples dedicated to it are square Gothic build ings, the roofs of which are round and tapering to a point. In tnany parts of Hindustan they are more numerous than those dedicated to the worship of any other of the Hindu idols, as are the numbers of the worshippers of this symbol beyond comparison more extensive than the worshippers of the other deities or their emblems. The Binlang stone is also sacred to Siva. In the temples erected in honour of Siva, the officiating Brahman, after bathing in the morning, enters the temple and bows to Siva. Ile anoints the image with clarified butter, after which be bathes the image with water which has not been defiled by the touch of a Sudra, nor of a Brahman who has not performed his ablu tions, by pouring water on it, and afterwards wiping it with a napkin. He next grinds Borne white powder in water, and, dipping the ends of his three forefingers in it, draws them across the lino, marking it tut the worshippers of Siva mark their forehetuis. Ile next sits down before the image, and, shutting his eyes, meditates on the wolk he is commencing; then plroes rice and durva grass on the linga; next a flower on his own head, and then on the top of the linga; then another flower on the linga ; then others, one by one, repeating prayers. He then places white powder, flowers, vilva leaves, incense, meat offerings, and a lamp before the image ; also some rice and a plantain. Ile next repeats the name Siv, with some forms of praise, and finally prostrates himself before the image.
On the 14th of the increase of the moon in Phalguna, in the night, a vigil in honour of Siva is kept at his temple, the image is bathed four times, and four separate services are per formed during the night.
The temples of Siva in most parts of India are small, and with one chamber, in the centre of which stands a linga, usually of white or black stone ; but occasionally 12 such temples, or even up to 108, are arranged immediately adjoining, in a group. Yet these temples ale little resorted to by votaries; they are regarded with comparatively little veneration by the Hindus, and flowers and fruit are thrown with little solenmity before the image. The only exception to this is the ternple of Vis-Eswara at 13enares, which is thronged with a never-ceasing crowd of admirers. Along the banks of the Ganges the worship of Siva is not the prevailing nor the popular condition of the Hindu faith, and it is only in the south of India that the people possess popular legends regarding hint.
The worship of Siva is a religion of stern realitieq, and his consort, in the forms of Durga and Kali, are the dread agents for the punishment of mankind. The opposing worshippers of Vishnu and Siva long desolated India with wars and persecutions. Krishna appears to have been opposed both to the Saiva and Indra sects. If any credit could
be given to the Hindu legends, Havana, who reigned over Ceylon and the southern part of the Peninsula at the time of Rarna's invasion, was the head of a civilised and powerful state, a Hindu follower of Sira. The Hindus who worship both Siva and Vishnu are of the sect of Bhagavat Sampradai, or devotees of two fold deity, these being ordinarily the lingam and yoni as emblems of Siva and his sakti (Devi), and of Krishna, of the Yadu form, wit)) Lakshmi. Vaishnava Brahmans will never worship Siva nor any emblem of that deity, nor even enter his temple, nor fast on the days of Siva's fast days. Saiva sectarians, generally, worship all deities ; they are, in truth, polytheists. But the \Ira-Sal% a Lingaets, and &tiaras Brahmans, and those who recognise the Rig Veda, do not worship at the Vaishnava temples. The period of sectarian intolerance is now past or in abeyance ; and, AS far as observation goes, the worshippera of Vishnu, Siva, and Buddhists view each other without malignity ; which feeling appears never to have influenced the laity of either sects, who aro uniformly respectful to the ministers of other religions, whatever be their t,enets.
Siva, from the legendary destruction of the three cities of a demon, is named Tripura or Tripura sura, the supposed origin of the modern Tiperah. Siva is represented with three eyes hence his title of Triuitira and Tri-lochun, and in this form hc is the Tri-ophtlialmic Jupiter of the Greeks. From the fire of the central eye of Siva is t,o proceed Pralaya, or the final destruction of the universe ; this eye is placed vertically, resembling the flame of a taper, is a distinguishing mark on the foreheads of his votaries. the eye in the fore head being one peculiar characteristic of Siva and of his consort, when armed with his terrors. This third eye is said to have burst from his fotehead on an occasion when his wife playfully placed her hands over his eyes whilst he was engaged in austerities in the Himalayas. With it he reduced Kama to ashes for daring to inspire timorous thoughts of Parvati whilst engaged in penance, and by its glance the gods and all created beings were destroyed at one of the periodical destructions of the universe.
The second of Vishnu's ten grand avatars or incarnations was in the form of a tortoise, and hence called the Kurma avatara, the principal incident in which was churning the ocean with the mountain Mandara, the huge serpent Sesha serving as a rope to whirl the mountain round withal, and Vishnu, in the shape of a tortoise, sustained the vast load. The result was fourteen precious articles, called gems or Chaoda ratni (more classically Chatur desa ratna), and one of the fourteen was poison ; but To soften human ills dread Siva drank The poisonous flood that stain'd his azure neck.' This legend, which is very popular, gives the action to Mahadeva, whence the epithet • Nila kanta, or blue-throated, is a name of Siva. With the Saiva sect it is now not an uncommon name, usually pronommed, as is that of the deity, Nilkant.