The Sacred Mountain – Lingaparvata (Phou Kao)

Lingaparvata Legends and mythologies across the world share the concept of Axis Mundi to indicate the navel of the universe, the pillar of the universe, the connecting pillar between Heaven and Earth, etc. People usually decorated a sacred tree, a holy mountain, a totem pole, or a pillar, or raised a column of ritual smoke or fire to represent the Axis Mundi. The linga is an aniconic phallic-shaped symbol of the Hindu god Shiva, one of the three representative gods of Hinduism along with Vishnu and Brahma. Linga is revered as the symbol of Axis Mundi by followers. Svayambhu is a Sanskrit word that means “self-manifested” or “self-existing.” Thus, Svayambhu-linga is a linga not made by humans, but one that has arisen naturally.

The worship of Svayambhu-linga is popular in Hindu traditions, and there are many pilgrim centers of Svayambhu-linga that attract pilgrims from far-off places. Lingaparvata, or the Mountain of Linga, is the Sanskrit name given to a mountain whose outcrop on the summit, which is around 10 m high, was worshiped as a Svayambhu-linga (elevation 1,416 m). Researchers have found the remains of brick platforms and a carved linga at its foot. This sacred Svayambhu-linga is likely to have been venerated as the Axis Mundi, the center of the Khmer empire or universe. Inscriptions reveal that many Khmer kings, high officials, and Hindu saints from distant Angkor or even India visited this place.

This inscription is crucial because it indicates the early presence of Sanskrit and Tamil cultural influences in southern Laos, dating back to before 450 CE. The discovery of this inscription has helped scholars better understand the cultural and religious exchanges that occurred in this region long before the height of the Khmer Empire​ (Wikimedia Commons)​ (Backpack Moments).

For those visiting the Vat Phou site, the Devanika Inscription provides an invaluable glimpse into the region's rich historical and cultural heritage.