127 quintals of shaligram shila (stone) have traveled all the way from Nepal to Ayodhya, where the long-awaited Ram temple is being built. The idol of the Hindu deity Ram is the center of attention these days, and there is a lot of speculation about how it will look.
While the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has yet to decide if shaligram would be used to carve out the idol, the priests performed Vedic rituals during the puja.
The Shaligrams arrived in Ayodhya on heavy-duty trucks from Nepal’s Janakpur, Sita’s birthplace, on the riverbanks of the Kali Gandaki River, which flows through Myagdi and Mustang regions.
But why were these stones brought all the way from Nepal, where they may or may not be utilised to create Ram’s idol? What makes this ancient stone so unique.?According to Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, shaligram shila is considered pious in Sanatan dharma. This is why it can be found in every temple because it is believed to house Vishnu. The shila was discovered for the first time in Nepal’s sacred Gandaki river. According to religious beliefs, Vishnu’s consort Lakshmi resides wherever this shila is kept.
Shaligram shila is used to sculpt statues at practically every temple and math in the country. This stone, according to legend, is not consecrated. Unlike other stones, it is thought to be the home of Vishnu. This shila is also tied to Tulsi, which is why it is worshipped in temples everywhere.
