Bana Linga

An egg-shaped stone considered a
svayambhu (“self-manifested”) form of
the god Shiva. As with all svayambhu
images, the bana linga is considered to
be extraordinary, since in it the god has
spontaneously revealed himself. Bana
lingas are only found in certain places,
particularly on the banks of the
Chambal River in the state of Madhya
Pradesh, where they can be found in
large numbers. They come in a wide
spectrum of colors and can be several
feet in width, although most are smaller.
The smaller ones are movable and may
even be carried by wandering ascetics as
portable objects of worship. The larger
ones are usually found only in temples,
not only because of the limits on motion
imposed by their greater size, but also
because they are believed to be so powerful that they should be kept in a carefully maintained place.