IDOL HEWN FROM A SINGLE ROCK

There was an unusual commotion in the sleepy village of Hallipura. When the villagers assembled at the trouble spot, they saw the young widow of Kotiah sobbing.

“Someone tried to assault her when she went for her early morning bath in the pond,” said her nephew, with whom she lived.

“It was still dark, so she couldn’t see her assailant. Luckily he ran off when she started screaming.”

The villagers were outraged, especially because she was the most pious, kind hearted woman in the village. She spent her time either in the temple or attending to her nephew’s needs or in the service of some needy people. Also, such ugly incidents were unheard of in this village and nearby areas.

“Do not go alone, especially at such early hours,” they cautioned, “If you doubt anyone, please tell us, we will have a talk with him.”

She shook her head, indicating she didn’t know his identity.

The village elders had their suspicions about two or three known village ruffians, like Vasu, Dorai, Velu etc, but could do nothing without knowing the facts.

There was a Devi temple in the village, dedicated to Durga, the Goddess who is worshipped as the destroyer of evil. Like the village itself, there was nothing remarkable about this small village temple. But the villagers were proud of the fact that the medium size idol, with the Goddess’s elaborate decorations and paraphernalia had been sculpted out of a single rock.

A couple of days after the assault on Kotiah’s widow, a village urchin came running to inform that Dorai’s body was lying near the temple.

When they rushed to the spot, they were horrified to find Dorai’s body,pierced by what seemed to be a stone spear, clean through the heart.

In the meantime, the temple priest came running out of the temple, “Unbelievable! Amazing! Durga Devi’s spear is missing!

The villagers who now made a beeline to their temple were astounded to see a breakage in the stone, where the spear had been earlier.

Obviously, it could not have been the work of an ordinary human.

The gathering of elders fell in immediate prostration at the feet of the Goddess.