Climate Change Threatens Sacred Shaligrams in the Himalayas
According to recent studies, the revered practice of collecting and worshipping Shaligrams, ancient fossils of ammonites, is under threat due to climate change and river course alterations in the Kali Gandaki River Valley of Mustang, Nepal.
- Shaligrams have been venerated in Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Himalayan religion of Bon for over 2,000 years.
- Shaligrams are considered manifestations of the Hindu god Vishnu and are believed to have intrinsic consciousness due to their natural formation.
- Pilgrims undertake a ritualistic Shaligram pilgrimage, collecting these fossils from the Kali Gandaki River, viewed as the embodiment of the goddess Tulsi and god Vishnu. ....
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