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Why the stone Ammonite fossils (shaligram), the Basil Plant (tulasi) and the Banyan Tree (pipal) are holy in Nepal?
The story goes that in earliest times Britasura
was a very powerful demon. He conducted a reign of terror
in which the troubled people were scared to death. Even the
most powerful gods including Lord Shiva were no match for
him when it came to fighting. Britasura was to be killed at
any cost but he wouldn t die as long as the chastity of his
wife, Brinda, remained intact. Lord Vishnu in the disguise
of the demon succeeded in violating Brinda s chastity and
the demon was killed in the subsequent encounter. The furious
Brinda cursed Vishnu so that he became a stone, plant and
tree. These three are regarded as some of his holy incarnations
and are worshipped even to this day.
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