At the heart of Lingayat practice stands the iṣṭaliṅga, the small personal liṅga received at initiation and worn constantly on the body, usually in a small case around the neck or on the arm. This liṅga is regarded as the living presence of Śiva and the true inner temple, so that the devotee’s own body becomes a moving shrine. Daily life is thus framed by an unbroken awareness of Śiva, carried physically and inwardly wherever the devotee goes. The initiation itself, in which the iṣṭaliṅga is bestowed by a guru, marks a decisive entrance into this path of direct, personal devotion.

Daily worship centers on repeated pūjā to the iṣṭaliṅga, typically performed after bathing and sitting in a clean place. The liṅga is removed from its case, washed with water (and sometimes other simple substances), gently dried, and adorned with offerings such as sandal paste, flowers, sacred ash, and food. Mantras—especially “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and the vacanas of saints like Basava, Akka Mahadevi, and Allama Prabhu are recited as forms of contemplative praise. The devotee may also employ vibhūti and rudrākṣa as supports for remembrance, before reverently returning the liṅga to its case and wearing it again, reaffirming the bond with Śiva throughout the day.

Although communal spaces such as maṭhas and gathering halls play an important role, the emphasis falls less on elaborate temple ritual and more on inward, personal worship. Group singing of vacanas, shared recitation, and discourses create a collective atmosphere of remembrance, yet the central focus remains the individual’s living relationship with Śiva through the iṣṭaliṅga. Festivals associated with revered saints are observed in this spirit of devotion and reflection, reinforcing both personal piety and communal identity. In this way, solitary practice and community life interpenetrate rather than stand opposed.

Ethical conduct is treated as an extension of ritual, not something separate from it. The principle “kayakave kailāsa” (“work is worship”) expresses the conviction that honest labor, performed with integrity, is itself a form of devotion. Lingayat teachings link this to a deliberate rejection of caste-based discrimination and ritual notions of pollution, encouraging inter-caste social interaction and simplified, dignified rites such as burial rather than cremation. Equal participation of women and an emphasis on inner purity, compassion, and social equality show that devotion to Śiva is expected to manifest concretely in the way one lives, works, and relates to others.