Regular Black Saligrama/ Shaligram

About 66 million years old “Saaligraama” (Shaligram/Salagramam), also called ‘Salagrama’ is a sacred stone preserved in many Hindu households as an object of worship. IT IS EXTREMELY RARE. It is worshipped as representative of Lord Vishnu. It is usually not displayed in the open, but taken out and put back, preferably in a box after puja. The salagrama stones are available exclusively along the river Gandaki (Kali) in the vicinity of a village of the same name in Nepal. Its surface is smooth and is generally oval in shape, with certain marks on its surface and one or more holes. The markings on the surface resemble the ‘chakra’ (a series of lines together resembling a wheel), ‘shankha’ (Conch shell) or gada (the mace), all appurtenances of Lord Vishnu. Whoever found them in the beginning was able to recognize them as unique and thought that they possessed divine qualities because of the markings referred to above and he must have brought them down to the plains of India to introduce them as a representation in reality of Lord Vishnu.  It may be that he was not aware of the geological aspect of its formation.The stones, depending on the markings, were identified as representing the different ‘avatars’ of Lord Vishnu (Narasimha, Makara, Matsya etc.)

NOTE: Its a product of nature and exact sizes cannot be mentioned as each 1 is unique.