V S Khandekar

Rikama Devhara V S Khandekar

HOW CHARMING WAS THE IDOL! ALL THE DEVOTEES WERE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE TO KEEP THE IDOL. THE IDOL ANSWERED, "THE PURE HEART OF DEVOTEES IS MY HEAVEN.` BUT THEN HOW CAN ONE SEE THE IDOL INSTALLED IN THE HEART WITH NAKED EYES? ALL THE DEVOTEES DECIDED TO BUILD A BEAUTIFUL SHRINE FOR THE IDOL. SOME BROUGHT SANDALWOOD, SOME CARVED IT EXQUISITELY, DAY BY DAY; THE HEAVENLY ALLURE WAS APPEARING IN THE SHRINE STEP BY STEP. EVERYDAY THEY STARTED WORSHIPPING IT. SOME STARTED BRINGING LOVELY FRESH FLOWERS FOR IT. EACH DEVOTEE WANTED TO PROVE HIS DEVOTION. THEY ALL STARTED COMPETING EACH OTHER WHILE COLLECTING THINGS REQUIRED FOR WORSHIPPING. THE DDAY ARRIVED. THE IDOL WAS COVERED WITH FLOWERS. THE SHRINE WAS COVERED IN FLOWERS. THERE WAS FRAGRANCE EVERYWHERE. THE HIGHLY LIGHTED SHRINE WAS NOW COMPETING THE STARS IN THE SKY. THE DEVOTEES PERFORMED POOJA WITH A CONTENT MIND AND TURNED TO GO BACK. EACH ONE STUMBLED UPON SOMETHING. EACH ONE BENT TO SEE WHAT IT WAS. BUT NO ONE COULD MAKE OUT WHAT IT WAS. EVERY ONE STAMPED OVER IT AND LEFT. ALAS! IT WAS THE SAME IDOL. SOMEONE, SOMETIME HAD TROWN IT OUTSIDE. WHO? GOD KNOWS....