Shaligrams
Shaligram shilas, the dark fossil stones worshipped as Vishnu, along with simple seats and boxes to keep them with tulsi in the shrine.
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In many Vaishnava households, the most important form in the shrine is not a statue at all but a small, dark, rounded stone. Shaligrams are fossil stones, often showing spiral markings called chakras, traditionally found in the Gandaki river in Nepal and worshipped as a direct presence of Vishnu.
Different patterns of chakras and openings are given names, such as Lakshmi Narayan or Sudarshan, and families often keep the shaligram they have inherited for generations. Daily worship is simple and steady: a bath in water, a tulsi leaf, sandal paste and a little bhog. On Tulsi Vivah the shaligram is ceremonially married to the tulsi plant.
Some traditions prefer that shaligrams be received from a guru or elder, so speak with your priest before bringing one home. Keep it on a small silver, brass or wooden seat inside a covered box, never on the bare floor, and dry it gently after each bath.