Lingodbhava

Lingōdbhava (also called Lingobhava, the "emergence of the Linga") is an iconic representation of Hindu god Shiva, commonly seen in temples in Tamil Nadu.

The iconography of Lingodbhava represents Shiva emerging out of the pillar of light, with smaller images of Vishnu in the form of a boar in the bottom and Brahma in the form of a gander at the top. The icon depicts the legend of the origin of the linga, Shiva's aniconic representation, often featured in his worship. The tale of Lingodbhava is found in various Puranas, and is regarded to be an assimilation the old cults of pillar-veneration.

The earliest literary evidence of the iconic representation is found in the 7th century works of the Shaiva saints Appar and Sambandar. The other indicative mention is found in the Tirukkural, a c. 5th-century Tamil text.