LIGHTNING TEMPLE

Lightning Temple:(News: two prisoners were killed by lightning at Sundargarh Jail)

                                   This lightning incident at Sundargadh jail reminds me of a story narrated to me by an old man at Paralakhemundi. “Centuries back there were a temple at Chhatrapur, known as lightning temple, a Siva temple, famous for lightning and killing people inside the temple. One afternoon dark clouds gathered and it started to rain heavily along with thunderstorm. One prostitute who was coming back from a pond took shelter in that Siva temple. The priest was furious and abused her for polluting the sacred temple. The prostitute begged the priest to allow her to stay till the rain subsides. But the priest was bent upon driving her out, to which she lastly said she would come at night when the temple closes. She was allowed to stay.

                                                                              One milkman and a doctor too took shelter in that lightning temple. Lastly one advocate who was returning from the court had to come running inside the temple. It was getting darker and darker by minutes, accompanied by deafening thunderstorm sounds. Everyone was curious to see the face of the prostitute with the lightning light standing on the verandah. They were sure lightning would strike because of the presence of that sinned lady. One fellow commented the lightning would strike because of her sins on the temple. The priest said it’s because of him the lightning has not struck as he worships the God very sincerely and he is pure as gold. The milkman too said he pours pure milk on the ‘sivling’hence he is protected, the doctor said proudly he does selfless service and the advocate said he has saved many families in court hence lightning would never strike him.

                                                                         An idea struck to the advocate. He suggested one by one from that group should go and touch that huge iron pillar some fifty meters from the temple and then come back. Boldly the priest went and came back proudly. Then the doctor went and lastly the milkman. Now it was the turn of the young prostitute to go out and touch that iron pillar. She was sure she will be dead once she gets out of the verandah. Hesitantly she went out and touched that pillar when a lightning struck the temple and all four were dead and nothing happened to her. All the villagers came to see who were the people got killed by the lightening. They watched with awe, that famous young prostitute walking away from the temple unhurt in her drenched red sari.”

The old man asked me “why lightening showed mercy on the prostitute?”

 I said “I can’t say”.

‘You dull headed, hog’ he said “they were all bigger sinners than the prostitute!”

 There were so many prisoners coming back but killed only two who should have been sentenced to death. Those two judges who had given the verdict have resigned as per our latest report and have gone for a hiding.

There was another case of a criminal who had committed seven murders at Puri. He escaped capital punishment through money power but lost all his fingers due to leprosy.

Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy