The two essential parts of the linga are the shaft and its base, which can be interpreted as symbols for male and female reproductive organs. Thus, in his symbolic form Shiva transcends the most basic reality that defines each of us as human being, namely our sexual identity. The base of the linga is also important for worship. Photo taken at Jageshvar, 1998. There are purplish flower blossoms visible on the statue's limbs, evidence of worship sometime earlier in the day.
Hindu mythology describes the first appearance of the linga as a pillar of fire.
According to the story, Brahma and Vishnu were arguing about which of them was greater, when they were astonished to see a pillar of fire filling the sky. Brahma mounted his swan and flew upwards, while Vishnu took the form of a boar and dug downwards, but neither was able to find the limits of this pillar. They came back to recount their failures, when a figure emerged from the heart of this fiery pillar. This was Shiva, who stood revealed as the greatest of all the gods. One of the most famous images of Shiva is as Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance.