SHALIGRAM SHILA

Shaligram shila is rare variety of stone is mined and specifically used to make sacred idols as per hindu mythology, that eminates positive and creative energy surrounding it. considered to be a representation of lord maha vishnu-'the protector'.

It is believed that a different variety of krishna shila is also known as "shalagram" that can be preserved and worshipped with atmost sanctity and hygene,for good omen.

The sacred saligrama stone may be white, yellow, brown, red, black, green,tawny or ash coloured.They may contain stains,and they may be multi coloured.The colours might be excessive or faded.Hence they occur in many colours,shades and forms. Depending on the purity,material content and size of these rare items they are categarized as low contribution(sakshina) variety, high compensation and rich contribution types.

Krishna (mythology)

Krishna (mythology), in Hinduism and Indian mythology, the eighth avatar, or incarnation, of the god Vishnu. According to tradition, Vishnu appeared as Krishna to rid the world of a tyrannical king named Kamsa, the son of a demon.

Numerous legends describe Krishna's miracles and heroic exploits. He slew or defeated scores of evil demons and monsters. He appears prominently, sometimes as a deity, in the epic poem Mahabharata, in which he sides with the Pandavas, one of two contending families, and acts as the charioteer of the hero Arjuna. It is to Arjuna, troubled on the eve of the decisive battle, that Krishna delivers the celebrated discourse on duty and life known as the Bhagavad-Gita.

For his part in the struggle between the Pandavas and their enemies, the Kauravas, Krishna and all his race were cursed by Gandhari, the mother of the slaughtered Kaurava brothers. Thereafter, Krishna's people quarreled among themselves, ultimately exterminating one another in a single day by fighting with uprooted reeds grown from a magical iron powder. Krishna and his brother Bala-Rama alone survived. They retired into a nearby forest, where a serpent crawled out of Bala-Rama's mouth, leaving him dead. The solitary Krishna was then killed by a hunter who mistook him for a deer and shot him with an arrow tipped with the same magical iron that had destroyed Krishna's people.

Although Krishna was earlier celebrated primarily as a heroic figure, in recent centuries he has been adored as a mischievous child and as the lover of the girls who live in the cowherd settlement where he began his earthly career.

The following are the names of various Saligramas.

Ananta shaligram shila	Matsya shaligram shila
Anirudha shaligram shila	Narasimgadeva shaligram shila
Chaturmukhi shaligram shila	Narasimha shaligram shila
Damodara shaligram shila	Narayana shaligram shila
Devi shaligram shila	Padmanabha shaligram shila
Gadadhara shaligram shila	Paramesthi shaligram shila
Ganesha shaligram shila	Pradyumna shaligram shila
Gopala shaligram shila	Purushottama shaligram shila
Garuda shaligram shila	Sankarsana shaligram shila
Hayagriva shaligram shila	Shesha shaligram shila
Hari shaligram shila	Shivalinga shaligram shila
Hiranyagarbha shaligram shila	Shridhara shaligram shila
Hrishikesha shaligram shila	Sudarsana shaligram shila
Janardhana shaligram shila	Trivikrama shaligram shila
Kapila shaligram shila	Vaikunta shaligram shila
Keshava shaligram shila	Varaha shaligram shila
Krishna shaligram shila	Vasudeva shaligram shaligram shila
Kurma shaligram shila	Vishnu-panjara shaligram shila
Lakshmi Narasimha shaligram shila	Vishnu shaligram shila
Lakshmi Narayana shaligram shila	Yogeshvaran shaligram shila

2012 Coins

150 BIRTH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIONS:

On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, India issued this 5 rupees commemorative coin on 25th December, 2012, for general circulation. On this occasion, another coin, in the denomination of 150 rupees, was issued as proof / uncirculated specimen.

SILVER JUBILEE COMMEMORATION:

Vaishno Devi is one of the holiest Hindu shrines dedicated to Shakti also known as Mata Rani, Maa Vaishnavi and ‘Shera Waali’. At the Shrine, Goddess manifests herself as Mother Goddess in natural form (‘Holy Pindis’).

The temple is located at an altitude of 5300 feet on the Trikuta hills near the town of Katra in Jammu and Kashmir. Every year millions of pilgrims undertake 25 km trek (12 km one way) on a difficult and hilly terrain to have ‘darshan’ of Holy Mata. To manage the affairs of the Shrine in a better way, Govt of J&K set up Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board under a special Act in 1988. It is also popularly called as Shrine Board.

On occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the Shrine Board, on 31.01.2013, GOI issued commemorative coins of Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 25. Coins of Rs 5 & Rs 10 are being issued for general circulation. The coins depict Holy Mata with her eight hands astride her tiger. She holds weapons like Sword, Trident, Mace, Bow & Arrow and Chakra to destroy the evil forces. She also holds lotus flower and a conch shell. Her one hand is open to give ‘ashirwaad’ (blessings).

This is the first time since India gained independence that a deity has been depicted on any coin. Keeping in view the religious sentiments of the public, the coins may be minted in huge quantity (possibly one billion).

150 BIRTH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIONS:

On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Motilal Nehru, India issued this 5 rupees commemorative coin on 25th September, 2012, for general circulation. On this occasion, another coin, in the denomination of 150 rupees, was issued as proof / uncirculated specimen.

150 ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIONS:

Kuka Movement in the Punjab (1860-1872) -It was originally founded by Bhagat Jawahar Mal in 1840.His main aim was to purify the Sikh religion by removing all the abuses, superstitions and ill-practices from it. But after the British annexation of Punjab revival of Sikh power and sovereignty became the major objective of the Kukas.This caused a great deal of anxiety in the British official ranks. So they took various measures between 1863 and 1872 and were finally able to suppress this movement.

The Minister for Tourism and Culture Smt. Ambika Soni has said that an event connected with Kuka Movement has been included in the suggested list of Anniversaries to be observed during the commemoration year 2007-08 for the 150th Anniversary of First War of the Independence/ related events. Indian Council of Historical Research who have vetted the list of events have given the date of the event as 20.4.1872. The suggested list has been circulated to all State/ Union Territories Governments for organizing function in association with all sections of the society. The venue of the event is Delhi and Govt. of NCT of Delhi is to take further action. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today she said, the Government of India has also released a sum of Rs. One crore for the raising of Kuka Martyrs Memorial at Malerkotla during 2007-08. 

On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Kuka Movement, India issued this 5 rupees commemorative coin on 5th October, 2012, for general circulation. On this occasion, another coin, in the denomination of 100 rupees, was issued as proof / un circulated specimen.