Guest guest Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Namaste - as many of you may know, we are now in the lunar month of Magh. This is especially auspicious for Lord Shiva. The 14th day of the dark fortnight of Magh (18 Feb this year) is Shivaratri. During this month, at the Devi Mandir, Shree Maa takes a sankalpa to make 108 shiva lingams every day. She takes a small bowl of clay and fashions them into small lingams. These are placed throughout the temple and then consigned to the creek at the Mandir on Shivaratri day. Swamiji was telling us how all the deities at the Mandir were fashioned from this clay, mixed with earth and hay - check http://www.shreemaa.org/altar.htm or look for the photo of the Cosmic altar at lst The picture of Mahalakshmi that is on the home page of the group is a part of the main cosmic altar. The deities were lovingly made by hand - Maa and Swamiji's hands. And they look so true to life. No detail has been spared - from the flowing locks on the head to the tiny nail on each finger and toe. They each stand atleast 5 feet tall and they watch and smile benignly at all those who enter the temple for their blessings. JAI MAA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 Hello, Latha, I really enjoyed this post about the Maa making the Shiva Lingams. I would love to try my hand at murti-making but haven't a clue how to do it. Might you be so kind as to offer directions? What kind of clay is used? Any earth/soil? Is the straw crushed? Are the objects then merely dried? How? (Inquiring minds want to know!) Thank you so very, very much. Best wishes and warmest regards, Karen - Latha Nanda 2/2/2004 12:46:48 PM The month of Magh and the cosmic altar Namaste - as many of you may know, we are now in the lunar month of Magh. This is especially auspicious for Lord Shiva. The 14th day of the dark fortnight of Magh (18 Feb this year) is Shivaratri.During this month, at the Devi Mandir, Shree Maa takes a sankalpa to make 108 shiva lingams every day. She takes a small bowl of clay and fashions them into small lingams. These are placed throughout the temple and then consigned to the creek at the Mandir on Shivaratri day.Swamiji was telling us how all the deities at the Mandir were fashioned from this clay, mixed with earth and hay - check http://www.shreemaa.org/altar.htm or look for the photo of the Cosmic altar at lstThe picture of Mahalakshmi that is on the home page of the group is a part of the main cosmic altar. The deities were lovingly made by hand - Maa and Swamiji's hands. And they look so true to life. No detail has been spared - from the flowing locks on the head to the tiny nail on each finger and toe. They each stand atleast 5 feet tall and they watch and smile benignly at all those who enter the temple for their blessings. JAI MAA To visit your group on the web, go to:/ To from this group, send an email to: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 As we often suggest, start with Shiva. He is the easiest. Om Namo Shivaya. The lingam is all clay. We mostly use the already mixed grey modelling clay. Then make his bull. They are sun dried. The larger murties from earth, straw, clay will be harder to describe in an email. We'll have to think about that. But worshipping the images that we make ourselves has so much greater meaning than worshipping a purchased image. Especially when we prepare the ingredients ourselves: Mother Nature gives forth Her materials from the infinite expanse of Nature in order to make the recipient of our devotion manifest. , "Karen Borak" <karenborak@e...> wrote: > Hello, Latha, > > I really enjoyed this post about the Maa making the Shiva Lingams. I would love to try my hand at murti-making but haven't a clue how to do it. Might you be so kind as to offer directions? What kind of clay is used? Any earth/soil? Is the straw crushed? Are the objects then merely dried? How? (Inquiring minds want to know!) Thank you so very, very much. > > Best wishes and warmest regards, > Karen > > > - > Latha Nanda > > 2/2/2004 12:46:48 PM > The month of Magh and the cosmic altar > > > Namaste - as many of you may know, we are now in the lunar month of > Magh. This is especially auspicious for Lord Shiva. The 14th day of > the dark fortnight of Magh (18 Feb this year) is Shivaratri. > > During this month, at the Devi Mandir, Shree Maa takes a sankalpa to > make 108 shiva lingams every day. She takes a small bowl of clay and > fashions them into small lingams. These are placed throughout the > temple and then consigned to the creek at the Mandir on Shivaratri > day. > > Swamiji was telling us how all the deities at the Mandir were > fashioned from this clay, mixed with earth and hay - check > http://www.shreemaa.org/altar.htm or look for the photo of the > Cosmic altar at lst > The picture of Mahalakshmi that is on the home page of the group is > a part of the main cosmic altar. > > The deities were lovingly made by hand - Maa and Swamiji's hands. > And they look so true to life. No detail has been spared - from the > flowing locks on the head to the tiny nail on each finger and toe. > They each stand atleast 5 feet tall and they watch and smile > benignly at all those who enter the temple for their blessings. > > JAI MAA > > > > Sponsor > Links > > > / > > > > > Terms of Service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 Namaste Karen, I hope you saw Swamiji's response to your question. I have not personally made any murtis so I am not able to help. As Swamiji said, you can start with a Shiva lingam with modelling clay. I have seen Maa fashion it in two steps - she takes two small lumps of dough and rolls them into 2 bars . One about twice as long as the other. The smaller bar stands as the vertical lingam and the longer piece is wrapped horizontally around the vertical piece roughly around the middle . So the bit above the horizontal 'bar' is the the lingam and the piece below serves as the base. And the horizontally wrapped bar is the yoni. Hope the description helped give you an idea. JAI MAA , "Karen Borak" <karenborak@e...> wrote: > Hello, Latha, > > I really enjoyed this post about the Maa making the Shiva Lingams. I would love to try my hand at murti-making but haven't a clue how to do it. Might you be so kind as to offer directions? What kind of clay is used? Any earth/soil? Is the straw crushed? Are the objects then merely dried? How? (Inquiring minds want to know!) Thank you so very, very much. > > Best wishes and warmest regards, > Karen > > > - > Latha Nanda > > 2/2/2004 12:46:48 PM > The month of Magh and the cosmic altar > > > Namaste - as many of you may know, we are now in the lunar month of > Magh. This is especially auspicious for Lord Shiva. The 14th day of > the dark fortnight of Magh (18 Feb this year) is Shivaratri. > > During this month, at the Devi Mandir, Shree Maa takes a sankalpa to > make 108 shiva lingams every day. She takes a small bowl of clay and > fashions them into small lingams. These are placed throughout the > temple and then consigned to the creek at the Mandir on Shivaratri > day. > > Swamiji was telling us how all the deities at the Mandir were > fashioned from this clay, mixed with earth and hay - check > http://www.shreemaa.org/altar.htm or look for the photo of the > Cosmic altar at lst > The picture of Mahalakshmi that is on the home page of the group is > a part of the main cosmic altar. > > The deities were lovingly made by hand - Maa and Swamiji's hands. > And they look so true to life. No detail has been spared - from the > flowing locks on the head to the tiny nail on each finger and toe. > They each stand atleast 5 feet tall and they watch and smile > benignly at all those who enter the temple for their blessings. > > JAI MAA > > > > Sponsor > Links > > > / > > > > > Terms of Service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.