Lone Deity

While looking out for the Nilgiri Thar during one of our jungle walking trails in the Eravikulam National Park, Kerala we came across this beautiful sight / shrine.

Lone Deity

It was like walking into a beautiful open-air temple surrounded completely by nature (trees and leaves) and the clouds. In fact this open-air temple had everything that is normally part of a typical temple. There were leaves for the carpet / floor, trees as the temple pillars and their leaves as the canopy, the clouds for the smoke from incense and also a small bell. There were even seemed to be some disciples around, as there were fresh garlands and offerings.

On meeting this deity, I started wondering as to who built this small temple? The idol seemed old, so how old was this temple? Was it made a long long time ago when our ancestors lived in the jungle? What was this temple’s purpose? Was it made for protection against wild beasts? Did the deity miss his long queue of disciples, or were the trees and animals enough?

Well, I couldn’t find anyone around to answer my questions and hence no answers to be found… So whatever it maybe, this was one beautiful lone deity and I was glad to have met him….