Banalinga

A Banalinga is a stone of a type found in the riverbed of parts of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh state, India, formed by natural processes of erosion into a shape resembling a lingam, an aniconic form of the Hindu deity Shiva. They are smooth ellipsoid stones that are regarded as manifestations of the deity, based on either the scriptures or cultural traditions among the Hindus, particularly of the Shaivas and Smarta Brahmins.

The banalinga is also called the Svayambhu (self-born) linga as it is natural rather than artificial.

However, the popularity of the stones has very severely depleted the natural supply, and the stones offered commercially today are very largely produced artificially.

Banalinga stones are quite strong and typically have a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. Stones regarded and treated as banalinga are found naturally in other rivers and natural contexts, but only erratically.