4th Avathaar: Pages from history : Narasimha idol’s journey : Pakistan to Haridwar

[AndhraPickles]

By Prof. A.V. Narasimha Murthy, former Head, Department of Ancient History & Archaeology, University of Mysore.

 

200 years ago, there lived a Brahmin Ganeshabhatta Joshi in Sangameshwar and he migrated to Pune to take up a job. His family deity was Lord Narasimha. One day he had a dream in which God Narasimha appeared and told him that he has been lying under a cactus shrub in Kashi and wanted Ganeshabhatta to build a temple for him. Ganeshabhatta and his wife went to Kashi, discovered this image of Narasimha and brought this to Pune and built a small temple for it. After the death of Ganeshabhatta, nine generations have been worshipping this image. How this image reached Kashi is still a mystery. Perhaps to avert a Muslim attack, some well-meaning person may have hidden this image under a cactus shrub.

Recently, Anantharao Joshi, the present descendent of Ganeshabhatta heard a rumour that there was a Narasimha temple at Multan in Pakistan which had some stone idols. Encouraged by this news, Joshi wanted to visit Multan and find out the truth for himself. His sons who were abroad came forward to finance his desire of visiting Multan. Luck also favoured him as a five-day cricket match between India and Pakistan was arranged at Multan in 2004. Joshi got the visa easily to go to Multan under the pretext of witnessing the cricket match.

 

With the help of his friends, he established contact with a person named Hussain Gardezi, an agriculturist in Multan. Though a Muslim, he had a soft corner for the purpose of Joshi’s visit to Multan and promised all help. Joshi reached Multan in Mar. 2004 and as per the desire of Gardezi, stayed in his house.

Gardezi was very affectionate and provided vegetarian food to Joshi. Thus Joshi was not only comfortable but was also happy by the warmth and affection shown by some of the people of Multan. He also met a local Hindu who had kept two idols, one of sage Vyasa and the other of goddess Lakshmi. Out of fear of the iconoclast neighbours, he had kept them in his bank safe locker. Joshi was very happy to see both the idols stealthily and offered worship.

On enquiring, it was discovered that there was a Hindu temple at a place called Prahladapura and the authorities of Pakistan changed its name as Kilabagh. The Narasimha temple was located at this place. Without giving much publicity, Joshi and friends went to this place where they saw a temple in complete ruins and its materials being used to build a mosque at the same spot. They jumped over the compound of the mosque and entered into the temple. Joshi had a mixed feeling of sorrow and joy at the same time; sorrow because the temple had been destroyed and joy because seeing the ruined parts of the temple of god Narasimha. The stone sanctum (garbhagriha) was 15ft square with a height of 20ft. It also had a pradakshina space. He saw a 15ft. tall stone pillar from which came out Lord Narasimha to kill the demon Hiranyakashipu. However, Joshi was disappointed that he did not see the image of Lord Narasimha.

 

Joshi met a retired Commissioner by name Rana who took the former to the Multan city library. Both searched for relevant books. Finally, they came across a book written by Sayyad Aurlab Ali Gilani titled Muraga-e-Multan (1938). It gave a good description of the temple and referred to the idol of Narasimha which had rubies fixed for his eyes. It was a wealthy temple and was repaired in 1876. After the partition, the temple was destroyed and the saint Mahant Baba Ramananda took the image and kept it in Fatechand Gurudwara for safety, near vegetable market. Later the Gurudwara was also destroyed. Rana requested the Pakistan Government to permit him to rebuild the Gurudwara. But the Government did not grant permission.

Highly disappointed, Joshi returned to Pune. While talking to an elderly person by name Godbole, he got the clue to meet Dr. Shawab Lalit of Shimla. He introduced him to Batra, an active member of the Multan Seva Sangh which is still in existence. Batra informed Joshi that the Narasimha image is safe at a temple in Haridwar and was in daily worship.

What actually happened is equally interesting. There was a saint Narayanadas Baba at Multan who knew about all these things at the temple. When some people destroyed the temple, this Baba packed the Narasimha idol in a wooden crate and was trying to load it into a plane leaving for Delhi. Suddenly an unruly group moved towards the crate and were about to destroy it. Having no other alternative, Baba pulled out his revolver and threatened to kill them. The people vanished and the crate with the Narasimha idol was loaded into plane and safely reached Delhi. As planned earlier, it was taken to Haridwar and was consecrated in Narasimha Dham temple.

The standing marble image of Narasimha is 4 ft. tall; it has a lion face and is holding the demon Hiranyakashipu in his two hands tearing out his stomach. Vishnu, Lakshmi and Prahlada are at the bottom. Though I had been to Haridwar, I did not know that this was the Multani Narasimha and missed seeing him. So, when you go to Haridwar do not forget to pay your respect to this idol of Narasimha. Thus Narasimha has come back to his own country escaping from the clutches of iconoclasts. Thus the Haridwar Narasimha temple is unique and has a saga behind it.