Shila or Shaligram

Shila, or Shaligram refers to a fossilized shell used in South Asia as an aniconic symbol and reminder of the god Vishnu as the Universal Principle by some Hindus. Shaligrams are usually collected from river-beds or banks such as the Gandaki river in Nepal. They are considered easy to carry and popular in certain traditions ofVaishnavism, as an aniconic representation of the divine. They are typically in the form of spherical, black-coloured Ammonoid fossils.