Badavi Linga 🔱 Hampi , Karnataka 💓Next to Yoga Lakshminarasimha is a magnificent monolithic linga made of black stone, about 3 meters tall, standing on a circular pedestal.It is believed that the temple has been in existence since the period of the Vijayanagara Empire.The name Badavilinga is a combination of two words – Badva and Linga. In Kannada Badva means poor and Linga represents Shiva. Legend has it that the Shiva Linga placed inside the temple was commissioned by a poverty-stricken peasant woman. Hence the temple came to be known as Badavilinga Temple.It is housed in a cubical chamber roofed with flat slabs. There is a single opening in front of the chamber. The lower part of the Linga remains in water throughout the year. The source of the water is through a small canal drawn from the Tungabhadra river.The superstructure though present is in a dilapidated condition. An interesting thing to note here is during the day time, sunlight enters through the opening in the ceiling and floods the Shiva Linga with light.The Badavilinga Temple proves its sanctity and extreme protection by Lord Shiva himself clearly. As the temple in spite of destruction, that befell Hampi several centuries ago escaped all devastations. The amazing fact is that though many holy sculptures were razed out, this Shiva Linga stands intact even today. The temple roof was destroyed by fanatic invaders, But the inner walls of the shrine, surrounding the Shiva Linga, have escaped any severe damage.📷 @pandurangasharmab1902 sir (Instagram) #ancient #positivevibes #hampi #shiva