16. Icons of Shalagrama (worshippable objects)

The objects worshipped by Hindus besides the images of gods and goddesses are Salagramas, Bena lingas, Yantras etc. which are associated with the Vaisnava, Saiva and Sakta cults respectively. "A Salagrama is generally a flintified ammonite shell, which is river worn and thus rounded and beautifully polished. Each of these has a hole through which are visible several interior spiral grooves resembling the Cakra of Visnu. Hence the salagrama is considered as a representative of Vismu". 67 The Salagramas are divided into various classes according to the circular impressions inside the Salagrama. Agni Purana Chapter 46 describes in detail these classes of Salagrama. They are Vasudeva, Sahkarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Narayana, Paramesti, Nrsiana, Varaha, Arsna, Hayagriva, Vaikuntha, Matsya, Vamana, Trivikrama, Ananta, Naikava, Damodara, Sudarsana and Janardana. These Salagramas are of different colours s brownish black, red, blue, white, blue, dark brown, jet black, yellow or multicoloured. The Agni Purana describes elaborately all the characteristics of these Salagramas. T.A.G.Rao has given a photograph of a group of Shalagrames end en image of Rama made of a piece of a Shalagrama. 68