Check out these photo show images:
Elegancia (Explore #276 May 8, 2012)
Image by Puzzler4879
An elegant red Miltoniopsis Orchid, seen in early March at the Tenth Annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden.
You can visit this great institution of learning at www.nybg.org.
"Tantric Shiva Lingams"
Image by cobalt123
This is the last of 9 images (and my favorite one) of a wonderful stone from India that I first saw a few years ago and had not purchased any until this year. Seen at the Tucson Rock and Gem Show, venue at the Ramada Ltd.
Some of these images are quite beautiful to me and faithfully capture how I saw them displayed this year. Each photo has another link and detail added to the description. All are part of the set I have started for this year's show.
wikipedia article about Shiva, Hindu worship and lingams:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingam
From the dealer literature:
"Tantric Shiva Lingams", scared to the Hindu tradition, are ceremoniously gathered once a year from the muddy banks of the Narmada River, one of the 7 sacred places of pilgrimage in India. Of those found, very few have the characteristics patterning that make the Tantric Lingam so unique. They are naturally formed of a mineral called cryptocrystalline quartz, with iron oxide deposits said to have been implanted in the riverbed by a meteorite millions of years ago. Hindus worship lingams in Shiva temples as a representation of the Lord. In the Tantric tradition, the shape embodies masculine energy: dynamic expression and knowledge. The markings called "Yoni" depicts feminine energy: wisdom and intuition. Together, the female energy arouses the masculine urge to create. The mineral composition and the shape makes the stones unique as objects for meditation. They are said to contain the loftiest vibration of all stones on earth".
This article describes how the stones are pulled from the riverbed of the Narmada River and prepared:
www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1989/08/1989-08-04.shtml
