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It
enjoyed royal munificence abundantly. The presiding deity Lord Siva
demonstrated many sports to cementing devotees' faith in Him; and so
became a popular powerful deity. It treasures up an emblem of Siva's
toe duly installed in the garbhagriha. Just below the emblem there
lies a small hole and it connects the earth to Patalaloka, says the
priest. And thereby hangs a fascinating tale. According to story,
Dharavarsha, a Paramara king, being a doubting Thomas by nature,
pooh-poohed at the popular belief. Going further, he decided to
disprove the blind belief. Towards this end, he ordered water to be
poured down the hole with a view to falsifying the prevalent
belief. Hundreds of servants toiled hard for six long months to
filling the hole unceasingly, but in vain. The thirst of the hole
seemed unquenchable and so there was no sign of water touching the
brim. Poor egoistical skeptic regretting retreated from the scene
with a heavy price, at it, as it were. As he incurred the wrath of
Achaleswar, he met with a terrible curse that gulped down his
dynasty abruptly. Skepticism cannot play with theism Would Siva let
His- devotees ruled by iconoclasts and atheists?
This
lies atop the Mount Abu, in the state of Rajasthan accessible
by four wheelers from the Railway Station lying at its foot and
Ambaji, the great pilgrim centre near it.
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