The Shivling is the main form in which Lord Shiva is worshipped by millions of Hindus worldwide. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva, himself, manifested in the form of ‘Linga’ to allow devotees to worship him. Lord Shiva is present everywhere on earth and heaven, yet he is formless and invisible to the naked eye. But a Shivling is a material representation of Lord Shiva, which can be seen, touched and worshipped. Devotees are assured that they can connect to Lord Shiva through the worship of the Linga.

Lord Shiva is a truly special God whose blessings are really powerful and thus, he is revered greatly by one and all. There are several particular rituals to worship the Shivling. This need to be followed with full devotion and the devotees must have a pure heart, free from all greed and malice. However, only men can touch the Shivling during Pooja. This might seem a bit strange but there is some sound reason behind it. According to legend, unmarried women are especially prohibited from touching the Shivling. Let’s find out why!

Why are unmarried women not allowed to touch the Shivling during Pooja?

A shivling, in general, symbolizes the union of mind and soul. It also physically symbolizes the male and the female reproductive organs in a state of bliss. The upper part of the shivling represents the phallus or the male organ whereas the base or the lower part of the shivling represents the yoni or the vulva. It is this divine and cosmic union that leads to the creation of new lives.

A Shivling means the combination of ‘shav’ or the body which Lord Shiva gives and ‘Shakti’ or the power of the soul. There is no point in the body existing without a soul, and a soul needs a body to reside in. Thus, this combination would lead to a perfect mix of body and soul which leads to the perpetuation of life over generations. Since the Shivling represents the male reproductive organ, it was considered a bad omen for unmarried women to touch it, worship it, and offer jal (water) to the shivling.

Other stories that highlight the fact that unmarried women are not allowed near the Shivling revolve around the belief that Lord Shiva indulges in the purest and ascetic form of meditation, devoid of any and all forms of spiritual or carnal distractions. Since the places for this meditation were thought to be very remote and sacred, nearly inaccessible to mortals, no man, let alone woman was expected to be around. Extreme care was taken even by Goddesses and Apsaras (heavenly courtesans at Lord Indra’s court) to not provoke Lord Shankara during his meditations, as even the most inadvertent disturbance could bring the wrath of the destroyer. Hence, it became a legend that women should not be allowed near a shivling.

According to some legends, the touch of an unmarried woman can distract the Lord and the benefits of the pooja are believed to be reduced. On the other hand, men are believed to be the ‘Amsa’ of Lord Shiva and thus can touch the Shivling during pooja. The Linga Puranam, specifically mentions that all men are Shiva’s ‘amsha-ansh-part, and similarly all women are that of Parvati.

So does that mean that unmarried women cannot worship Lord Shiva at all? Not at all, they can worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati together. As Lord Shiva is deemed to be the ideal husband, unmarried women fast and pray to Lord Shiva to bless them with an ideal life partner just like him.

Some myths also state that Goddess Parvati is agitated when an unmarried woman touches the Shivling, which is a symbol of her husband Lord Shiva. They can, however, assist males in the pooja and get blessed by Lord Shiva anyway.

Many of these rules and restrictions that are still prevalent today have their origins in the Vedas and Puranas. Although we might not be capable of understanding their true essence or purpose, there is always a deep underlying meaning to them.