▁in ▁South ▁India ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁from ▁Ch ola ▁times ▁( late ▁ 7 th ▁century ▁A . D .), ▁through ▁R ig ▁v eda , ▁the ▁oldest ▁literature ▁details ▁about ▁wor sh ipping ▁Sh iva ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁ling a . ▁ ▁Pal lav as ▁propag ated ▁Som ask anda ▁as ▁the ▁principal ▁form ▁of ▁worship , ▁slightly ▁devi ating ▁from ▁the ▁Sh a iva ▁ag am as ; ▁Ch olas ▁being ▁strict ▁sh a ivas , ▁established ▁ling ams ▁in ▁all ▁the ▁tem ples . ▁ ▁The ▁relation ▁between ▁Sh iva ▁and ▁the ▁ling am ▁extends ▁to ▁the ▁Ind us ▁Valley ▁civil ization , ▁where ▁several ▁remains , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁round ▁stone ▁caps ▁at ▁Har appa ▁and ▁the ▁well - known ▁se al ▁of ▁poly cel phal ic ▁y og i ▁( s aint ), ▁have ▁led ▁sch ol ars ▁to ▁attribute ▁the ▁prim ord ial ▁native ▁origin . ▁ ▁Sv ay amb u ▁ling am ▁indicates ▁a ▁ling am ▁that ▁comes ▁into ▁existence ▁on ▁its ▁own ▁accord ▁and ▁not ▁ere cted ▁by ▁human ▁be ings . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁tem ples ▁are ▁built ▁around ▁the ▁ling am , ▁with ▁its ▁position ▁maintained ▁as ▁the ▁san ct um . ▁ ▁The ▁temple ▁structures ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁five ▁ling ams ▁with ▁the ▁main ▁one ▁at ▁the ▁san ct um ▁supp lying ▁power ▁to ▁the ▁rest . ▁ ▁The ▁others ▁are ▁d h v aja ▁ling am ▁or ▁flag ▁ling am ▁( sign ifying ▁flag ▁pole ), ▁b had