How do I do abhiṣeka of a Śiva-liṅga at home?

pour water, and if you wish milk or pañcāmṛta, slowly over the liṅga while chanting “Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya”, then finish with clean water.

Abhiṣeka means a ritual bath. Place the liṅga on a small pīṭha or in a plate so the water drains away, ideally towards the north. Use a copper, brass or silver vessel, and pour in a thin, steady stream while chanting “Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya”.

A simple sequence: clean water first; then, if you like, milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar (or pañcāmṛta mixed together); then water again to wash it all off. Gently wipe the liṅga, apply sandal paste (bhasma or vibhūti in many homes), offer bilva leaves, flowers, a lamp and naivedya, and do āratī. On ordinary days, water alone is a complete abhiṣeka.

Collect the water and pour it into a plant; families differ on whether to sip it as tīrtha, so follow your custom. Avoid packet milk wastage — a few spoonfuls are enough.

Mantra: Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya (pañcākṣarī) · Source: Śiva Purāṇa; common Śaiva practice

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