LORD SRIKANTESWARA OF NANJUNGUD

HAIDERALI'S EPISODE

This is recorded in the Mysore gazette and is preserved in the archives. The incident testified to the fact of the sanctity of the waters of Kapila and the divinity embedded in the archamurthi. The story goes that the royal elephant of Haidarali was affected by eye disease and it lost its sight. Being the favorite of Haider. he spent a lot of time and money too curing it. All systems of medicines were tired and every expert attended on it, but it remained stubborn, loss of sight became total. When worrying about it, Haidarali was advised by a pandit - theist to send his elephant to Nanjangud for spiritual cure, promising that a bath in Kapila and prayer at the temple would certainly bring back sight to the elephant. As he was an enlightened ruler with immense faith in God and respect for other religions, he sent the elephant and made arrangements for its regular bath and due prayer services to the Lord. And a miracle of miracles occurred that cemented the faith of Muslims in Nanjundeswara. After 48 days of bath and prayers with archana, abhisheka etc. the royal pachyderm returned home with full sight, to the publication of all in the court and zenana. The grateful ruler presented an emerald necklace to the Lord as a thanks. giving offering along with many presents. His illustrious son sent later a silver cup set with five kinds of precious stones at the bottom as his appreciation and a mark of adoration. Both these are preserved and used, and are shown to the devotees if requested on their visit. So hoary literature neither boosted the glory of the Lord sans basis, nor resorted to advertising tactics with ulterior motive. Lord Nanjundeswar out of infinite mercy showers boons and lifts the true devotees always. The words impartially and unfailingly deserve to be affixed when remembered his august benevolent auspicious name.

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