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Lakulîsha
: a form of Shiva as an ascetic, meditating in the forest in the standing position. He holds a club
Laddu
: sort of sweet; Ganesh is found of it. See
modaka
Lakshmî
: female counterpart of god Vishnu, Lakshmî is the goddess of wealth, and also of beauty. On her numerous images (She is represented many times on folk chromos, post cards, etc.), one can see Her holding a lotus and a fruit. She looks like rising out the ocean. Indeed, She was born when gods and
asuras
churned the Primordial Ocean of Milk, at the very beginning of the Manifestation. She has as many names as different forms; She attends Vishnu when He comes as an
avatâra
. She is worshipped under eight principal forms (
Ashta Lakshmi
) in some temples of Tamil Nadu. A well known Lakshmî form displays the goddess attended on both sides by an elephant who pours sacred water on Her with his raised trunk : then, She is Gaja-Lakshmî, Lakshmî with elephants
Lalitasana
: sitting posture called "ease posture"
Lankâ
: an old name for Srî Lankâ, also called Ceylon. Although separated from Tamil Nadu by a narrow channel only, the Ceylon island has never been durably conquered by important south indian dynasties (Pallava, Chola, Pandya, Nayak). In the mythology, Lankâ was the abode of Kubera, the guardian of underground treasures, then the abode of Râvana, king of the
Rakshasa
(demons), his half-brother who ousted him. Râvana was fighted and subdued by Râma, but he got also quarrels with Ganesh !
Lîla
: "game"; the Manifested world is often seen as a play of Gods who govern its cycles
Lingam
: the Shiva's symbol. It's a stone in the form of a cylinder, sometimes egg-shaped. The lingam is always dwelling in Shiva temples; He represents the creative power of the God and is unanimously worshipped by all hindu people.
Loka
: according to hindu tradition, the Universe is made of three worlds (
triloka
), the world of the Earth (
bhuloka
), the intermediate world between the Earth and the Sun (
bhuvarloka
), and the location between the Sun and the Pole-star (
Svarloka
). Other worlds are also known, for instance the world of Gods, the world of Semi-gods (Asura), etc. In the buddhist tradition, one defines the world of Gods, the world of Semi-gods, the world of men, the world of animals, the world of greedy beings, the world of infernal regions
Lokapâla
: the height guardians of Worlds (
Loka
); they are represented as armed warriors riding elephants; Kubera is their commander
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