Lingodbhava

The God Vishnu sat in meditation upon a lotus that was floating among the eternal waters. The calm waters eased his soul, as he prepared to enter yoga nidra — deep meditation. All at once a great light appeared before the god, and out of the illumination stepped Brahma.

Brahma approached and introduced himself as the Creator of the Universe. Feeling irritated at the interruption, Vishnu introduced himself as the Preserver of the Universe, the great Architect of Creation, and the Supreme Being.

Brahma, surprised by the God's status claim, considered himself the Supreme Being. He felt he must defend his title. The God of Creation considered his status as "creator" is what deemed him superior. "I created the heavens and the earth, the sun that gives us warmth and life, and the very stars that shine their light upon us. I am the Supreme Being — The Great Creator of the Universe."

Increasingly annoyed by the esteemed creator, Vishnu felt he must defend his claimed title as Supreme Being. Vishnu, the God of Preservation, felt his title as "preserver" deemed him superior on the grounds that he preserves creation and restores the cosmic order. "When evil threatens to prevail and chaos reigns supreme, I balance the order of destruction and restore karma unto the world. I am the Supreme Being."

The two gods continued to debate their superiority for what may, indeed, have been eons. Suddenly before them appeared a great column of fire. Tongues of flames licked across the skies and lashed out like whips, threatening to burn the gods. Curious about the flames, Brahma took on the form of a swan and flew ever upwards in search of its origins. Vishnu, equally curious, turned into a boar and burrowed into the depths of the earth.

Many days passed, and the pair could not find the source of the pillar of flames. Returning to the eternal waters, Vishnu admitted he did not find the source. Brahma, however, refused to submit to the other god and lied about finding the peak of flames.

Angered upon hearing this falsehood, Lord Shiva emerged from the flames, and appeared before the two gods in his fearsome form of Bhairava. His form struck fear into the disagreeing gods, and they lay down in worship of Lord Shiva.

In a thunderous voice, Lord Shiva addressed the two thusly: "Brahma and Vishnu! You were born from within me and as the ages progressed, you were separated from be by my will. Do not presume to be above your station — for I am the supreme being."

And Shiva, as repentance for his arrogance, cut Brahma's fifth head from his flesh and cursed him to never have temples dedicated to his worship.

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It is from this story the Shiva Linga were created. Lingam represent Shiva, and can be found in shrines all over India. The ritual of linga consists of offering milk or water by pouring it over the top, and adorning the yoni (base) with flowers, grass, and fruit.

Harappa and Mohenjo-daro

Harappa is the ruins of a Bronze Age fortified city that was part of the Indus Valley Civilization. Much of the site was damaged during construction of the Lahore-Multan railroad. The city was established circa 2600 BCE, and was rediscovered in 1920.

Mohenjo-daro translates to 'Mound of the Dead Men.' This site houses one of the worlds earliest established cities, and the largest settlement of the Indus Valley Civilization. The city was established in 2500 BCE, and rediscovered in 1922 — two years after Harappa's rediscovery. The site is threatened by improper restoration.

Climate change and reducing sea levels caused much of the Indus Valley to be abandoned. As settlements of the Indus Valley, both of these cities had similar features. Both cities had water supply and drainage systems (Great Bath), elaborate urban planning, metallurgy. A trade network was established between cities of the Indus Valley and those of Mesopotamia, including Elam and Sumer.

Speculation

Linga are symbolic representation of the God Shiva. There is still debate as to the origins of linga, and what they represent. According to one legend, the linga is a representation of the God Shiva's phallus. The yoni, in which the linga sits, is meant to represent the Goddess Parvati's vagina. This story originates in the Shiva Purana.

There are other theories that explain the origins of the Shiva Linga. Ancient Astronaut Theory suggests that linga's are actually an atomic energy source. This theory suggests that the "phallic" shape is actually more similar to the shape of a nuclear reactor, and the yoni base is the section that disposes of polluted water. The ritual of pouring water or milk over the linga could be symbolic reenactment of pouring water to cool a nuclear reactor. Most linga are found at shrines next to rivers, or sources of water — much like modern nuclear reactor sites. Are Shiva Linga representations of an ancient nuclear power site, or are they actually smaller versions of nuclear reactors?

Many archeological sites in the Indus Valley have been reported to have Shiva Linga. If linga are nuclear powerhouses, could they be the source of an ancient nuclear explosion?

Mohenjo-daro was an ancient city with a population of 40,000 people. The city was suddenly abandoned without explanation. However, skeletal remains were discovered in Mohenjo-daro. These remains were found to be radioactive, and lying unburied in the streets holding hands. Were these people the casualties of a nuclear explosion? There is evidence that part of the site was destroyed by a very powerful explosion, as well as an actual lonar (astroid) crater near the site in Mumbai. This crater has no evidence of meteoric material.

Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa have also been found to have vitrified bricks, stonewalls and pottery — seemingly melted and fused together. X-Ray diffraction performed on pieces of pottery from Mohenjo-daro were found to have a similar composition to volcanic rock. The only explanation of such vitrification is exposure to incredibly high temperatures — like those of a very powerful explosion.

If this is the case, and Harapa and Mohenjo-daro were the sites of a nuclear explosion, what caused that explosion? If the ancients had access to nuclear reaction technology, perhaps they also had access to a nuclear arsenal. Many theorize these sites could have been the location of a war — perhaps one of divinity.