Sushmajee
Vrat-Festivals | Temples
Temples | |
Special Temples-2 |
There are some special Temples in India which have some kind of specialties in them. Some of them are given here ---
Baijnaath Mahaadev Temple Built by an Englishman
Col Martin was in the Afghan wars. He used to regularly write to his wife, informing her of conditions there. It was a long war, and gradually the colonel’s letters stopped. Mrs Martin, who then lived in the cantonment of Agar Maalavaa, was besides herself with grief, fearing the worst. She would spend time riding for hours to calm herself. One day she rode her horse, past the temple of Baijnaath Mahaadev. It was in a decrepit state. It was the time of Aaratee, and the sound of conches and the chanting of Mantra compelled her to stop. She went inside to see the worship of Lord Shiv. The priests saw the grief on her face and asked her what was wrong. Mrs Martin narrated her sad story. The Braahman told her that Shiv listens to sincere prayers of all devotees and saves them from difficult situations. She was advised by one of the priests to start chanting the Mantra: “Om Namah Shivaaya” for 11 days. The Englishwoman prayed to Lord Shiv for the colonel’s safe return, promising she would rebuild the temple if he came home safe from the war. On the 10th day, a messenger arrived from Afgaanistaan with a letter from her husband. It read, “I was regularly sending you letters from the battlefield but then suddenly the Pathaan surrounded us. I thought there was no way of escape. Suddenly I saw an Indian Yogee with long hair, wearing a tiger skin carrying a trident. He had an awe-inspiring personality and he started wielding his weapon against the Afgaan who ran away from the field in fright. With his grace what was certain death our bad times turned into victory. Then the great Yogee told me that I should not worry and that he had come to rescue me because he was very pleased with my wife’s prayers.” Tears of joy and gratitude welled up in Mrs Martin’s eyes as she read the letter. Her heart was overwhelmed. She fell at the feet of Lord Shiv’s idol and sobbed. After a few weeks Lt Col Martin returned and his wife told him her story. The couple became devotees of Shiv. In 1883, they donated Rs 15,000 to renovate the temple. This information is engraved on a slab kept in the Baijnaath Mahaadev Temple. The Martins sailed for England with the firm resolution that they would make a Shiv temple at their home also and pray to him till the end of life. And they did. Shree Vallabh Temple, Tiruvalla, Kerala
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Created by Sushma Gupta on 3/15/05
Contact: sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on
09/30/13