Sahasralinga is one of the prime pilgrimage centres in the country and is situated in the centre of the River Shalmala in the town of is Sirsi ,Karnataka. The river Shalmala is now known for the thousands of lingas carved into the rocks along the riverbank.
Between 1678 and 1718, the ruler of the Vijayanagar Kingdom, Sadashivaraya, placed 1000 lingas there. The fact that each linga has a carving of Nandi, the bull, standing in front of it makes it unique. It is a sacred site, and during the Hindu festival, Shivratri thousands of pilgrims visit this place and offer pujas.
Jean Boulbet, an ethnologist, found this magnificent site in 1969. Unfortunately, the Cambodian Civil War delayed his effort, and it took another 20 years for the area to be safe to visit. The water level of the Shalmala river in Karnataka recently reduced due to dry weather, revealing the presence of thousands of Shiva Lingas.
In Cambodia, there is a Sahasralinga with the same name! This Sahasralinga also features a number of lingas carved into river rocks. It is close to Angkor Wat, the world's largest Hindu temple. According to some researchers, the likeness may be due to the fact that many Hindu kings spread their power over Southeast Asia.