The British ruled India for hundreds of years, and built
many churches and cathedrals. But in the 1880s, a Shiva temple in Agar
Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, was rebuilt by Lt Col Martin — the only temple
ever made by an Englishman in India.
Agar is now 51st district of Madhya pradesh. any one can visit the temple any time :)
har har Mahadev
Col Martin was in the Afghan wars. He used to regularly
write to his wife, informing her of conditions there. It was a long war,
and gradually the colonel’s letters stopped. Mrs Martin, who then lived
in the cantonment of Agar Malwa, was besides herself with grief,
fearing the worst
She would spend time riding for hours to calm herself. One
day she rode her horse, past the temple of Baba Baijnath Mahadev. It was in a
decrepit state. It was the time of arti, and the sound of conches and
the chanting of mantras compelled her to stop. She went inside to see
the worship of Lord Shiva taking place.
The priests (pujari) saw the grief on her
face and asked her what was wrong. Mrs Martin narrated her sad story.
The Brahmins told her that Lord Shiva listens to sincere prayers of all
devotees and saves them from difficult situations. She was advised by
one of the priests to start chanting the mantra: “Om Namah Shivaya” for
11 days(this is also known as laghurudri anushthan). The Englishwoman prayed to Lord Shiva for the colonel’s safe
return, promising she would rebuild(renovate) the temple if he came home safe
from the war. On the 10th day, a messenger of British army arrived from Afghanistan with
a letter from her husband. It read,
“I was regularly sending you
letters from the battlefield but then suddenly the Pathans surrounded
us. I thought there was no way of escape. Suddenly I saw an Indian yogi
with long hair, wearing a tiger skin carrying a trident. He had an
awe-inspiring personality and he started wielding his weapon against the
Afghans who ran away from the field in fright. With his grace what was
certain death our bad times turned into victory. Then the great yogi
told me that I should not worry and that he had come to rescue me
because he was very pleased with my wife’s prayers.”
Tears of joy and gratitude welled up in Mrs Martin’s eyes
as she read the letter. Her heart was overwhelmed. She fell at the feet
of Lord Shiva’s idol and sobbed. After a few weeks Lt Col Martin
returned and his wife told him her story. The couple became devotees of
Lord Shiva. In 1883, they donated Rs 15,000 to renovate the temple. This
information is engraved on a slab kept in the Baijnath Mahadev Temple.
The Martins sailed for England with the firm resolution
that they would make a Shiva temple at their home and pray to him till
the end of life. And they did.Agar is now 51st district of Madhya pradesh. any one can visit the temple any time :)
har har Mahadev
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