Panchabootha Lingam is the combined name referring to the
Shivlings in five ancient temples in India where Hindu God Shiva is
represented in the form of five elements – earth, water, fire, air and ether
(akasha or sky or space). In these five temples, linga or lingam which
symbolically represents Shiva is in the form of elements.
Earth – Ekambaranathar Temple or Ekambareswarar Temple in
Kanchipuram – Shiva Lingam here is the element earth. The Shiva Lingam here is
believed to have been created by Goddess Parvati from sand or earth.
Water – Jambukeshwar Temple or Thiruvanaikaval Shiva Temple in Srirangam – Jambukeshwara
represents the element water. The deity is found under a Jambu tree over a
small river. The small stream engulfs the idol during the rainy season.
Fire – Arunachaleswara Temple or Annamalaiyar Temple at
Thiruvannamalai – Arunachaleswarar or Shiva represents the element fire here.
Shiva here is in the form of Lingodbhavamurti, the column of fire, which
appeared before Vishnu and Brahma.
Air – Sri Kalahasti Temple at
Kalahasti in Andhra Pradesh – Vayu Linga represents the element air or wind
here. The element air is evident by a continuous flame which flickers when
there is no air source in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Ether – Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram – Shiva is
represented as ether or sky in an empty space within the sanctum sanctorum.
(In Nataraja Temple , Shiva is represented in three forms
Nataraja, Crystal Linga form and as Nishkala (ether) in Chidambara Rahasyam.)