On one occasion Swami Vishwananda was almost twelve years old as he saw a huge black 20-25 kg marble Shiva lingam in a shop window that he really wanted. However, it was too expensive and he had to save his pocket money in order to buy it. He was unable to ask his parents for the money, as it was such a large sum just to pay for a lingam. Therefore Swami Vishwananda starved himself and saved his lunch money towards the lingam, until he had enough to pay for it. Swami then secretly brought the lingam home in a trolley and hid it at the back of the garden and would do puja to it every morning before leaving the house.
(by Ravi)The Shiva lingham is still in the ashram in Mauritius.