Deities wait to be reunited with spouse during lockdown in Rajasthan

Amid coronavirus-induced lockdown, several temples of Lord Shiva in Rajasthan's Hadoti region are waiting for the "missing" idols of his consort, Goddess Parvati. There is a centuries-old belief among the locals that if someone is facing difficulty in getting a wife, he should "abduct" the Parvati idol at night.

Kota/Bundi: When most religious places are closed to people due to the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown, several temples of Lord Shiva in Rajasthan's Hadoti region are waiting for the "missing" idols of his consort, Goddess Parvati.

"It should have been returned. But as no marriages are taking place due to the lockdown, the idol is still missing," said Rambabu Parashar, priest of the temple at Raghunath Ghat in Hindoli town of Bundi district.

There is a centuries-old belief among the locals that if someone is facing difficulty in getting a wife, he should "abduct" the Parvati idol at night.

"This would make Lord Shiva feel the pangs of separation from his spouse and he will grant the person's wish of early marriage," says 55-year-old Parashar, who is also a government school teacher.

Youths in the region follow the tradition and after taking the Parvati idol home, they pray to the goddess that she should persuade Lord Shiva to bless them with an able life partner.

"Once their wish is fulfilled, the newlyweds return with the idol and install it at its original place with all the rituals," he says, adding that all this is done "secretively."

So some unidentified bachelor of the village apparently took the two-and-half-foot tall idol of Goddess Parvati in last Sawan month (July- Aug 2019) from the Raghunath Ghat temple, believed to be nearly 400-500 years old, according to the priest.

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Sawan is the fifth month of the Hindu calendar and special prayers for Lord Shiva are held in this period.

But no marriages or social functions are being allowed due to the ongoing lockdown from March 25 due to the coronavirus outbreak, so many Parvati idols from the temples are still missing.

"Since no marriage could be solemnized due to the lockdown even on Akshaya Tritiya, Lord Shiva is still alone in the temple for nearly 10 months," the priest said.

In Rajasthan, Akshaya Tritiya, which was celebrated on April 26 this year, is considered auspicious for weddings.

"We never file a complaint with police when the idol goes missing as it is reinstalled at the same place after some time," said Parashar.

The Parvati idol at Jhareshwar Mahadev temple on the bank of Ratansagar lake in Talwas village too is missing, Mulchand Sharma, a retired government teacher in Talwas village, said, adding there are several families in the village where youths have followed the tradition.

"The Lord was most likely to have been reunited with his consort on Akshaya Tritiya, but no wedding took place this time in the village due to the lockdown," he added.

(PTI Report)