SacredSalagram

By: Divya Venkat

What is a Salagram?They vary in size

and shapes • It is a sacred stone representing the abstract form of Lord Vishnu.

• Hindu Vaishnavas place these stones in their puja alters for daily worship.

Where are Salagrams found? Deep in the hidden places of the

high Himalayas in the north-west regions of Nepal.

They are found in the river banks of the Gandaki River

Gandaki River flows through Mukti Nath and Damodar Kunda.

One who comes into contact with this sacred stream will be liberated from the cycle of birth and deaths.

Other facts The salagram stones are hundreds of million

years old. The marks on the salagram give it a special

significance. The salagram comes in different colors, and all

are considered sacred. The different shapes are associated with

different incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

Some shapes of Salagrams

Matsya-murti : shaped like a fish Hayagriva-murti: shaped like the head of a horse Varaha-murti: has a snout-like bulge Narasimha-murti: has a gaping mouth of a lion

with sharp teeth Hayagriva: has marks of a lotus and it is shaped

like the head of a horse

Procedure to follow for puja

Sit in a position in which you can face the

East or North-east direction. Wash the salagram with ganga jal poured

from the conch shell. Place some kusha grass in a stainless steel

glass filled with water to sprinkle over the Salagram. Now, put the Salagram on some pipal leaves placed on a plate.

Light the camphor, incense sticks and the lamp filled with ghee.  Apply some sandal paste on the Salagram and place some fresh

tulsi leaves in front of the Shila. Light the lamp and move it in a circular, clockwise movement of

the hand in front of the Salagram.  Chant the mantra: "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna,

Hare Hare" nine times.  Offer milk, fruits or sweets to the Salagram

Damodar Salagram Sloka

Who can worship Salagram? The Padama Purana says that even

people who are the lowest, who are ruled by anger, lust and greed – even such people if they worship the Salagram shila can be elevated to the abode of Lord Vishnu.

Worship of Salagram Sila can be done by women, sudras, brahmanas, ksatriyas, etc. and they can all achieve the eternal abode of Lord Krishna perfectly.

Especially in every brahmanas house there must be a sälagräma-shilä to be worshiped by the brahmanas family.

QUIZ What is a salagram? Where are salagrams found? Name atleast 2 types of salagram. Can anyone recite the “varam deva” sloka.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama Hare RamaRama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna

Works Cited

http://www.rudrakshanepal.com/page-15-Shaligram_Stones

http://www.indiayogi.com/content/shaligram/ http://www.shaligram.org/

Thank You!