The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : People flock to house to see ‘miracle’

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Saturday, Jul 19, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

People flock to house to see ‘miracle’

Staff Reporter

The eye of a marble idol of Shirdi Sai Baba was found open

Police had a tough time controlling the crowds
There were a large number of women

Curious: The crowd in front of the house at Gavipuram in Bangalore on Friday.

BANGALORE: The last time one witnessed hysteria of such proportions was when plaster of Paris Ganesha statues reportedly drank milk.

Since Thursday night, crowds have been thronging the modest house of Babu and Lakshmi at Gavipuram near the Gangadhareshwara temple when a story emerged that a little marble idol of Shirdi Sai Baba opened its left eye.

Before it turned into a frenzy, some members of the public managed to see the idol. But then the crowds came in waves, forcing the police to set up barricades.

Women came in their hundreds, children in tow and on their hip, unwilling to return without a glimpse of the idol. They were tough nuts to crack, as the police discovered.

A good Samaritan came to the police’s rescue by launching a homily about God watching over everyone equally and that they could all come back in the morning. Sadly, it cut no ice.

Tempers flew as the droves demanded to be let in, only to be told that it was a private house and not a temple.

The police soon found themselves really stressed out.

The police personnel shouted, pleaded and cajoled in turns, asking the crowds to come back at seven in the morning.

“I was fortunate to see the idol in the afternoon,” Manju, 25, told this reporter who was there in the evening.

“There was only a single file queue then. I want to see it again, but it now looks like I can’t. The family is not asking for money, but I saw a lot of it willingly donated.”

Brisk business

Those who could not see the idol took comfort in buying copies of photos of the idol.

Clearly business was brisk what with the copies being snapped up at Rs. 20 each. Each time the stock got over, devotees took pictures of the copies with their camera phones.

But miraculously, the stocks were replenished in no time.

There were the non-believers too who turned up out of curiosity, each expounding his theory.

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