Set amidst the dense forests at the foothills of the VelliangiriMountains, is the Dhyanalinga Multi religious Shrine, the first of its kind to be completed in over 2000 years. Created by a profound mystic and yogi, it embodies the distilled essence of yogic science. This powerful meditative space does not ascribe to any particular faith or belief system nor does it require any ritual, prayer, or worship. "Just sitting silently for a few minutes within the sphere ofDhyanalinga is enough to make even those unaware of meditation experience a state of deep meditativeness" -Sadhguru The Sacred land of India has been witness to the lives of countless siddhas ¹, seers, saints, sages, and enlightened beings. The Dhyanalinga Multi-religious Temple, situated in Coimbatore, India, is very much a part of this glorious tradition.

Dhyanalinga is the distilled essence of yogic scienc e. It does not ascribe to any particular belief or faith. It d oes not require any pooja or worship. Just sitting silently for few m inutes within the sphere of Dhyanalinga is enough to make ev en those unaware of meditation experience a state of d eepmeditativeness and feel the divine energy that overf lows from this glorious form.Dhyanalinga was consecrated by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, a realized master, mystic and yogi, after three years of intense process of prana prathista. Measuring 13' 9", Dhyanal inga is the largest mercury based live linga in the world. I n the metaphysical sense, Dhyanalinga is a guru, an energy center of tremendous proportions. All the aspects of life are enshrined in the form of seven chakras energized to t he very peak and locked. A doorway to enlightenment and spi ritual liberation, Dhyanalinga offers a sadhaka ² the opportunity to perform sadhana ³ in utmost intimacy with a live guru, - an opportunity which is traditionally available to a s elect few.

Situated at the foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains,Dhyanalinga is a colossal entity of eternal vibrations. The earth colors, the natural granite, and the fusion of irregular surfaces and shapes that form the Temple creates an ethereal ambience and an apt atmosphere to receive the grace of the Dhyanalinga. "Anyone who comes into the sphere of Dhyanalingacannot escape the sowing of the spiritual seed of liberation." - Sadhguru

The Dome

Architect Of the templeIn ancient temples, the structure that houses the Deity is as important as the Deity itself. The parikrama or the walkway of the temple, the garbhagriha or the innermost shrine of the temple, the shape and the size of the idol, the mudraheld by the idol and the mantra (sound) used for the consecration of the temple are the fundamental parameters of a temple. These elements are matched and built according to a certain science and based upon the understanding of the energies, thereby creating a powerful energy situation and facilitating inner transformation. The energies of the Dhyanalinga have been consecrated to last for more than 5000 years without any dissipation. The elliptical dome that houses the Dhyanalinga is 76 feet in diameter and 33 feet high. It was built without the use of any steel, cement, or concrete but with brick and mud mortar stabilized with lime, sand, alum and herbal additives. It's the only structure of its kind. The simple technology used is this -- all the bricks are trying to fall down at the same time! But, the way the bricks are aligned and balanced, they can never fall. The nature of this design ensures a lifespan of at least 5000 for the dome

At the heart of the temple, in the sannidhi or sanctum sanctorum, the visitor finally stands before the immense and awe-inspiringDhyanalinga. Vibrating with the power of the primordial, casting its spell on all those who enter its enigmatic presence, theDhyanalinga towers up to a height of 13 feet, 9 inches. It rises out of the seven-coiled receptacle, the avudaiyar, which has been designed in such a way that every part of the avudaiyar is 3 feet 3 inches in length and the total length of the avudaiyar is 13 feet 9 inches, the same as the height of the Linga. Surrounding the Linga is the jalaseema, a water body that has a cooling effect on the Linga and gives the impression that theDhyanalinga is floating on water. The Dhyanalinga is made up of a single high-density black granite stone and the Avudaiyar is made of white granite whose density is 30% less than that of the Linga. Both the Linga and the avudaiyarare energized with the qualities of the seven chakras; hence theLinga has seven copper rings and the Avudaiyar is in the form of a seven-coiled snake.

The Dhyanalinga is kept constantly wet to enable themeditator to easily receive the energies emanating f rom it. Water drips onto it from a hemispheric copper d ome coated with gold, which is suspended above the Linga . The resonating sound of water dropping over the Ling a, the shimmering reflections of the oil lamps on the golden dome, the subdued interiors, and the all-pervasive silence makes the entire structure ethere al. The natural draught of air and the choice of natura l materials make the dome a cool and soothing space, which breathes through every pore.

Time loses itself.

The Inner Parikrama The Dhyanalinga Temple layout is geometrically a simp le fusion of shapes, but experientially a profound space for med itation. The peripheral dimension of the structure is a congregation of mod ulated spaces subtly preparing the visitor for meditation at every step. The unusual sunken reception engages the viewer with the 17 feet white granite monolith, theSarva Dharma Sthambha. Symbols of major religions of the world are inscribed on three sides of this Sthamba forming an a ppropriate sign of welcome for one and all, beyond religious divide. The back of the Sthamba is inscribed with the schemat ic of the sevenchakras of the human body, in the form of lotuses th at represent different levels of consciousness. The chakras are flanked on e ither side by flowing forms of snakes, representing the Ida and Pi ngala nadis, the masculine and feminine or the logical and intuitive energy states. The central stem connecting all the chakras at the center is the Sushumna nadi, the principal channel of energy according to the yogic sciences. A rising sun carved in stone crowns the Sthambha, symb olizing a new dawn and the pattern of fallen leaves beneath the sun sy mbolizes the death of the past. The Sthambha area of the temple is built in the form of a yantra, which is closed on three sides and gives the feelin g of an open-arm embrace to the visitor.

The stone gateway or the Thorana is designed accordin g to the principles of traditional Indian Temple Archite cture. It safeguards the temple and acts as the main entrance . To reach the open pathway, the parikrama, the seeker cr osses the three entrance steps symbolizing the gunas - Tamas , Rajas and Sattva, which are the three basic qualitie s of the mind. The unusual height of the steps forces the vi sitor to press the sole of his feet on the pebbled surface o f these steps, which in turn activate certain nerve centers in the body - a preparation of the system to make it more recept ive to the energies of the Dhyanalinga. The parikrama, leading to the Dhyanalinga, communicat es a sense of both artistry and spirituality. It compris es a central pathway, which is open to the sky, establishing a v isual connection between the entrance and the dome, reinf orcing the integrity of the relationship of spaces. The ce ntral pathway is flanked on either side by covered aisles .

As one enters the parikrama, on the left is the statue of Pathanjali, the celebrated author of Yoga Sutras, regarded as the father of yogic sciences. The eleven-foot tall statue is deliberately placed in a sunken shrine, thus establishing an immediate relationship between the colossal identity of Pathanjali and the dwarfed viewer at the same level. The statue sculpted in black granite depicts a fusion of snake and man, symbolizing the dual nature of life. It also symbolizes the divine nature of man evolving from his earthbound nature. Hence, the sunken shrine depicts the snake below the earth and the man above it. The snake covering the head of the statue with its hood represents the raising of energies through the seven chakras, thus reflecting the objective of yoga.

The parikrama ends at a vaulted tunnel that leads to the dome of the Dhyanalinga. Carved on the threshold of the entrance are two snakes with a single raised hood, indicating the non-dual nature of the Dhyanalinga. Over the vault is a seven-hooded monolithic snake, symbolizing the seven dimensions of life reaching the peak of consciousness. The earth colors, the natural granite, irregular surfaces and the shapes that form the Dhyanalinga temple create a very earthy and ethereal ambience, blending with the surroundings and intensifying all elements of nature; a smooth prelusion to the warmth and womb-like feel of the Dhyanalinga Dome.

On the right is the Vanashree shrine, the feminine deity of the Dhyanalingatemple and a counterpoint to thePathanjali shrine. In contrast toPathanjali's sunken base, theVanashree shrine is placed at a higher level than the pathway. The Vanashree, made of green granite, is a sculptural relief of a peepal tree. A gold leaf at the center symbolizes warmth and prosperity. The energies of the deity are such that it is especially beneficial for women and children to meditate in the vicinity of the shrine. The traditionalKeerthi Mukha, the glorious face, finds place above the shrine of Vanashree.

Six artistically sculptured granite panels cover the aisles, illustrating the stories of six South Indian sages who attained enlightenment. Each panel captures a moment in these extraordinary lives. On the threshold are six images of meditative postures each carved into a triangular form, which indicate the Siddhi State of six spiritual chakras. The form of a yogi prostrating before the Dhyanalingasuggests the sense of surrender that is required to enter the Dhyanalinga space

TheerthakundIn India it is tradition that prior to entering any temple, one is required to wet the entire body to help make it more receptive to the energies of the temple. The Theerthakund, a subterranean tank, with a solidi fied mercury lingam, immersed in water was built as a preparatory tool t o enhance spiritual receptivity in a person before entering the Dhyanali nga. It is situated on the northern side of the temple complex as part of the Outer Parikrama. Since ancient times mercury has been an important s ubstance in all kinds of spiritual alchemy around the world. The Linga, or Rasalinga, weighing 680 kgs, is ellipsoidal in shape and is 99.8% pure m ercury solidified at room temperature. According to the principles of modern chemistry, th is kind of solidification is not possible. But here, the Rasali nga has been solidified through the ancient science of Indian alchemy. In March 2006, Sadhguru consecrated this Linga, energi zing it through a powerful process. This Linga will retain these energi es almost eternally. The Theerthakund though basically used as a preparato ry tool to enterDhyanalinga, it is very powerful by itself. It stra ightens out the energy or the pranic imbalances in a person, which leads to phy sical and mental well-being. Above all, it creates a tremendous sens e of receptivity -spiritual receptivity in a person.

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