The world of symbolic yin and yang mascots at My Son

My Son Sanctuary, located in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, 70km southwest of Da Nang city, is a complex of many ancient towers at the foot of Chua Mountain and is a World Heritage site and a Special National Monument.

In Champa religious beliefs, Linga and Yoni are sacred objects representing the masculine and feminine realms . Linga is the male genitalia, symbolizing Shiva – one of the three supreme deities of Hinduism – representing masculinity and creative power. Yoni is the female genitalia, symbolizing Uma – Shiva's wife – representing femininity.

The lingas at My Son come in many different shapes, such as straight cylinders, square basins, and round basins with drainage grooves along the edges. Many lingas are composed of three distinct parts: a square base representing Brahma – the creator god; an octagonal middle section representing Vishnu – the preserver god; and a circular top representing Shiva – the creator and destroyer god. The round top of the linga also features decorative elements.

During the reign of King Prakasadharma (653 AD), there was a custom of offering Kosa to Linga. Kosa were hollow, cylindrical pouches made of gold or silver, adorned with images of the god Shiva, used to encase Linga. A stele from My Son compares the Kosa encasing the Linga to a "bright, spotless moon" and "lasting in this world as long as the sun and moon."

Despite suffering significant damage over more than 1000 years, the Cham tower complex at My Son Sanctuary still retains relatively intact Linga-Yoni sets, preserving the unique artistic and cultural values ​​of the Cham people.

A view of the My Son sanctuary, with the sacred mountain visible in the distance.

Section B contains the intact Linga-Yoni set.

The round top of the Linga is decorated with a Jata (a type of headdress).

The Linga in tower F has a structure consisting of three different parts.

Yoni represents the goddess Uma—the wife of the god Shiva—a symbol of femininity.

An architectural feature at the Yoni altar.

Another form of Linga at the My Son sanctuary.

Source: https://danviet.vn/the-gioi-linh-vat-tuong-trung-am-va-duong-o-my-son-7777609217-d380787.html