god vishnu in thana!

God Vishnu in Thana ! ------------------------------------------------- Sanjay Mishra ------------------- Darbhanga—18-04-11 ---------------------------- The statue row continues to plague the Jale region of Darbhanga district even after a week of the finding of a Vishnu idol. Now, people of Dhankaul village have decided to construct a temple on the spot where the idol was un-earthed. On the other hand, villagers of Pauni are not ready to relent to the demands of Dhankaul people. In the midst of it all, lord Vishnu has been kept in Jale Thana. Thana in charge Devanand Kunwar told the Telegraph-“I have informed the higher authorities….the statue seems to be fairly old and we are looking after it.” In fact, the uproar started on 11-04-11 itself when the laborers digging soil on the bank of a pond in Dhankaul found the statue. Without informing the villagers, it is said, the laborers fled away with the statue. The statue was kept in a room in Pauni and soon worship was started. The information spread like a wild fire. The villagers of Dhankaul rushed to Pauni to get the statue back. But of no avail. Ram Pukar Jha of Dhankaul said-“God appeared in our village on the eve of Ramnavmi….it is a sign of omen…it will bring prosperity to us….how can we forgo our claim?” On the other hand, people in Pauni are restless, as the statue has been seized by the police. Faith driven folks throng to Jale thana in large numbers to have a glimpse of the god. The number of visitors is increasing day by day. Sensing this, thana personnel have made an arrangement. During day hours, the statue is placed outside the Shiva temple which is inside the thana premise. After sunset, the statue is brought back to the ‘ Maal-Khana ’ of the thana. The statue is made up of black granite. Its glaze can surprise anyone. In the statue, god Vishnu, the main deity, is flanked by eleven other gods. It is over three feet high. A teacher standing besides thana said that the statue seemed to be of Pala period. The district authorities have approached ASI. But, no ASI team has turned up so far to study the importance of the statue. No one knows whether God Vishnu will be blessing Dhankaul or Pauni or be placed in a quiet corner of a nearby museum. Till then, God would be well remembering his Krishna avatar when he was born in a jail. ----------------