Sejak 2000 Tahun Lalu Hingga Kini, Umat Hindu dan Buddha Menyembah Fosil Hewan Langka Ini

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Since 2000 Years Ago Until Now, Hindu and Buddhist Worship This Rare Animal Fossil.

"In certain months every year, a pilgrimage event to search for Shaligram is held."

For more than 2,000 years, Shaligram, an ancient fossil from the extinct amonite group that is related to modern squids, has been worshiped by followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Bon in the Himalayan region. What does this fossil, which is revered by Hindu and Buddhist communities, look like? Here is the appearance of the Shaligram fossil.

Batu Shaligram dihormati sebagai manifestasi dewa Hindu, yaitu Wisnu.

The translation of the given 'Bahasa' text to 'English' while preserving any html tags is: "The Shaligram stone is revered as a manifestation of the Hindu god, Vishnu."

Shaligram is found in remote areas in Mustang, northern Nepal, especially in the Kali Gandaki River Valley.

Shaligram is often kept in homes and temples, considered as a form of living god and respected by community members actively.

"Ziarah Shaligram"

Many Hindu devotees make pilgrimage trips to Nepal to search for Shaligram. Anthropologist Holly Walters from Wellesley College, United States, has also accompanied Hindu pilgrims on their journey to search for Shaligram in Nepal.

"Rare and Endangered"

According to Walters, it is increasingly difficult to find these stone fossils due to gravel mining activities and the impacts of climate change.

Foto: Wikipedia

The Shaligram mythology is connected to two legends, the first of which is told in three Hindu sacred texts: Varaha, Padma, and Brahmavaivarta Puranas. Each version of this story depicts Lord Vishnu, the highest creator in Hindu belief, being cursed by the Goddess Tulsi, also known as Brinda, for endangering her sanctity. The story tells that Vishnu disguised himself as Tulsi's husband, Jalandhar, so that Lord Shiva could defeat the demon in battle.

This is caused by Jalandhar, who was born from the third eye of Shiva, previously having received a blessing from the god Brahma that the purity of his wife would make him invincible in any battle. Because of anger towards this deception, Tulsi transformed herself into a river known as Kali Gandaki, while Vishnu transformed into a river stone, becoming Shaligram.

The creation of Shaligram

With this action, Wisnu will continue to be born from the body of Tulsi as a child, as a form of payment for the karma caused by the murder of her husband and making her a widow. The view in Mustang thus reflects the bodies of Tulsi and Wisnu, creating the Shaligram stone as a representation of the waters of the Kali Gandaki river.

"Time for Pilgrimage to Shaligram"

The pilgrimage journey in search of Shaligram in the Himalayan region is generally carried out from April to June and returns between late August and November. Pilgrims follow the flow of the Kali Gandaki river and examine the riverbed to see if there are any black spiral stones emerging among the sand.

However, unfortunately, according to Walters, Shaligrams have become increasingly difficult to find recently. Factors such as climate change, faster glacier melting, and gravel mining activities in the Kali Gandaki River have altered the river's flow, resulting in the emergence of increasingly limited Shaligrams each year. This is mainly caused by the meltwater from the Southern Tibetan Highlands flowing into the Kali Gandaki. However, with the disappearance of glacier layers, the river has become smaller and shifted from the fossil formations containing the necessary ammonite to form Shaligrams.

However, at this time, most pilgrims can still find at least some Shaligram every time they visit Mustang, although it is becoming increasingly difficult.

Source: The Conversation

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