Many civilisations from time immemorial have the habit of worshipping icons, murals, carvings, animals and sometimes human beings also as incarnations of God. Especially in India, worshipping saints as Swamijis (God incarnate) is very much in vogue. At the same time there are iconoclasts who never believe in such form of worship. Also there are some intermediaries who sang ” If you consider it as a mere stone it is stone, If you consider the same as God, it is God”, thus fixing the onus of judgement with the individuals. This is a story of such a Saint worshipped as a Swamiji by villagers. He had opponents too. The story deals with the theme “who wins the war’.
Suri, young lad in his twenties came to his native village after several years on completing his graduation.
Suri is the abbreviation for Surya which again is Dharamshala escort agency abbreviated from the full name Surya Narayanan. Surya Narayanan means Sun God, Suri was born as a result of worship to Sun God and the same name was attributed to him
Suri’s ultimate master was his grandfather who was a retired school teacher. For any clarification he would reach only to him and his answer would be the final.
Also for the particular problem the village was facing, only an old timer could have a reply.
The village Kurinji was without rainfall for a decade. The word Kurinji means hilly areas. Kurinji residents had not seen clouds for ten years. Lands had become barren, plants had become dry. First animals started falling to the ground and die because of thirst and hunger. Then new born babies started dying. The pity was parents administered milk from poisonous plants and kill the new born babies. Situation became the worst when farmers committed suicide unable to bear the loss because of failed crops.
“Grandpa, why our village alone is not having rainfall? ” was his question. All the surrounding villages were having rain fall, Only Kurinji did not have. He was expecting the reply that it was due to the hill which shielded rain fall, but the answer was totally different and unexpected.
“My grandson, you were in town for your studies. You could not know what happened here”, told his grandpa.
“What happened? “, He asked curiously.
“It is because of the curse given by that holy man”
“What? ” Suri was visibly shocked, “This is 21st century and you are talking about curse” he asked in disbelief.
“You do not know it, he had such mystic powers. These bloody villagers aroused his anger and his curse which is the reason for this miserable plight”
“Sorry grandpa, I am unable to believe this”, Suri asserted.
“Please lend me your ears and hear the full story and then you will believe it”. The old man started narrating the incidence as a story.
“Nobody knew where from he came, nor his name, age etc. One day a villager saw him sitting on the hill top He escorted him to this village. On seeing his unshaven face he thought him to be a Saint and started worshipping him. Soon the villagers fell in line to worship him. They had utmost faith in him. He rarely spoke. Sometimes he kept absolute silence for days together.
The days which followed his stay here were the golden days for us.. Rainfall was regular, crops flourished well, all auspicious happenings took place in the village. The villagers contributed their mite at his feet as a reward for all his blessings. They started believing that God himself had sent that God man to them to solve all their problems. They preferred calling him Swamy or Swamiji to give more respect.
This was not liked by Muthu. He worked in a military canteen as an attender and had come back after a short service. He preferred calling himself as ex-serviceman. He declared himself as an iconoclast and questioned all the events in the village.
His prime target was the God man. He started abusing the local people who were worshipping the unknown visitor as God incarnate. The villagers were worshipping him because of the reason “All the good things are taking place after Swamiji’s visit”. But he refuted the claim stating that there were so many mishaps and deaths after his visit. “Will your Swamiji accept responsibility for these mishaps also? ” he asked.