An ancient marine creature's spiral-shaped fossil shell.
- The black stones in which these ancient shells are lodged are called shalagrams, and they may be found in abundance in Nepal's Kali Gandaki River.
- The term ammonite is derived from the Latin phrase "horn of Ammon," which alludes to a version of Jupiter with rams' horns.
The circular shape of the ammonite is seen in India as a representation of Vishnu's discus (chakra), and the shalagram is therefore regarded as a svayambhu "self-manifested" picture of Vishnu himself.
- The shalagram, like other svayambhu forms of a god, is regarded extremely sacred and is typically maintained as a source of devotion.
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