Banalingam with Stone Yoni Base - CLXV

This is a pure crystalline white natural Svayambhu (Self created) linga stone found in nature, in the bed of the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh state of India. This form of white semi transparent lingam is found very rarely when the river swells up due to heavy rains and leaves these stones that are formed deep underwaters across it’s banks. Rudra Centre is the largest collector of these rare pieces that are found once or twice in a decade. They glow with light when you hold a light source across the other end and show beautiful divine artworks across its surface. Banalingams are quite strong and the hardness is a 7 on the Mohs scale and researchers and geologists confirm that this is due to the impregnation of its rocky river-sides and the rocks in the river bed. 

The Narmada river also called by name Rewa finds reference in Mahabharata and Puranas and is said to have sprung from the body of Lord Shiva. It was created in the form of a lovely damsel who enamoured the gods and hence got the name Narmada meaning ‘delight giving’. It is also Shankari, i.e., daughter of Lord Shankar.

There is a popular saying in the Hindu belt that ‘Narmada Ke Kanker utte Sankar’, meaning that all pebbles of Narmada are personified forms of Shanker(Lord Shiva). Further, a mere sighting of the Narmada River is considered equivalent to taking a bath in the Ganges. Along it’s course temples are there and fairs are held and numerous pilgrims take Pradakshina (circumambulation) along its bank.

There are three kinds of lingas described in the Brihat Vaivarta Purana which are Svambhu [Self-existing], Banalinga (got from a certain river) and Sailalinga [made of stone]. These are respectively called Vyakta(the one that gives salvation), Avyakta (the one that gives worldly happiness), and VyaktAvyakta (the one that gives both happiness and salvation). This white Banalinga from Narmada falls in all the three categories and hence is revered as the highest form of Shiva linga. It comes with a hand made stone yoni base from a stone found in the Narmada river itself.

Dimension of Banalingam:
Height: 2.8 inches
Centre Diameter: 1.7 inches
Weight: 182 gms
 

Dimension of Stone Yoni base:
Height: 2.6 inches
Length of Yonibase: 5.4 inches
Width of Yonibase: 4.2 inches
Weight: 1200 gms.
 

Total Height of Set: 4.7 inches
Total Weight of Set: 1382 gms