Lingodbhava at Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Lingodbhava at Airavatesvara Temple is a form of Rudra-Siva that erupts as a never-ending pillar of light - in this frame we have Gods Brahma and Vishnu offering their prayers with an Anjali mudra. In a way a flaming pillar of shivlinga that doesn't have a beginning or end personifies the formless divine essence of Siva. How to reach Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram?
Gods Brahma and Vishnu had a dispute of who was greater - and as per mythology of Lingodbhava as mentioned in Linga Purana, Kurma Purana as well as Shiv Purana is that Siva appeared as a flaming pillar of indeterminate size and asked them to find either the beginning or the end. Vishnu took his boar - varaha and dived deeper to find the end of the flaming pillar whereas Brahma flew on his hamsa to find the beginning. Vishnu admitted to Shiva that he couldn’t find the end and as per the tale Brahma tricked Shiva with the help of Ketaki (a flower) that he did see the beginning of the flaming linga. Furious Siva at Brahma’s devious attempt = Shiva cursed Brahma that he will never be worshipped and the Keyaki flower met the same fate never to be allowed to be part of any prayer or worship..
