Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-02-11
The Idol of 0acore--Hindoo Supersti-
tion,


pie and Idol of DacOre:
Dacore is a small but t1ounshing
town in the Talooka of Thasura, con-
tanning a population Of about :, 900 souls.
1t owes its prosperity to the high sane
tity which it enjoys throughout the
whole of Guzerat in the estimation of its
Hindoo inhabitants. Crowds of dew
otees flock to the celebrated shrine of
Remchariee every full moon. The num-
Ter of pilgrims each ordinary pooruma
IS estimated at about 10000. Most of
them. are poor and generally drawn from
tRe adjoining villages. The principal
days of pilgrimage are the full moons of
the GuZeratee months of Ockwin, Kar
tick, FalgOon and Chytra, and also Kuth
Faha, which happens TO be in the month
of Oshad. On each of these occasions
more than 100000 pilgrims assemble, and
goods of various sorts are sold there, and
the traffic is believed to amount to four
laos year. 1t is popularity believed
that the full moon night is selected for
the religious festivities because the idol
of Remcharjee was brought to Dacore
from Dwarika by Raipoot adventurer
on the pOOruma of the mouth of Kartick, in
the year of Kerum 1912, A. D. 1856. The
story connected with this adventure is
as follows: There lived at Dacore
Rajpoot named Vujey Kurum; his sur
name was BOodhana, and he had a wife
called Gungaboi, much attached to him.
Once it happened that some men from
Malwa were passing through this town
as pilgrims to Dwarika, a holy place of
the Hindoos in Kattywar. A converse
ton occurred between them and BOod-
hama, and the latter thereupOn made
resolution to visit that place. The idol
called RemCharjee, which is now seen in
the Temple of Dacore, was in Dwarika
at the time he joined them. On his
arrival at Dwarika, having had religious
conversation with the people living there
regarding the idol, his devotion in
creased. His religion so much engrossed
his attention from this time that, al
though he returned to DacOre, he could
think of nothing but Dwarika anG its
Remchariee-so much so that he used to
place clay on the palm of his hand, pour
water upon it, and plant holy shrub
called "TOolseen iii it, the same way as
different kinds of plants are made to
grow in carthen and china pots This
shrub is considered by the Hindoose to
be a great favorite with the God Vishnu,
who is represented by Remcharjee in one
of his innumerable incarnatiOns After
three or four months, when the shrub grew
up to a good size, he would proceed to
Dwarika and place it at the foot of the
idol. This practice was continued by
him for period Of seventy years, till at
last the god was pleased with his devo-
ton and called upon him to ask anything
he liked most. Boodhana, who had re-
nounced all worldly desires, and who was
a model of perfect resignation, humbly
left that choice to the god himself. The
god, having thus put his disinterested de-
votion to the last trial, resolved to so
with him and bless him with his constant
presence at Dacore. Accordingly, Bood-
hama was desired to procure carriage
and take the idol with him to his native
place. He brought an old cart and kept
1t near the town gate. The idol left the
temple secretly at midnight and came
walking to the place where Boodhana
was waiting. The idol assembled the
cart, desired Boodhana to sit in it, and
drove the bullOcks with rapidity which
only superhuman power could produce.
They reached Dacore at daybreak. This
was the morning of Kartick Soooh
POOruma, the 10Th day of the lunar
month in Lomwut, 1912, A. D. 1856.
They halted near the present Sunly
Station for while, where the Deo-
pie worship the footprints. These
are believed to have been made by the
idol at the time The arrival of the idol
was made known to the people Of the
town, who, rejoicing in the information
received, fOcked to visit the shrine.
When the priests of Dwarika opened the
temple next morning, to their surprise
they missed the idol. They inquired for
it in the neighboring towns, but TO no
purpose. Thinking that Boodhana al
ways came to Dwarika and went back on
foot, but that this time he had brought
a cart and was not to be seen in the town,
the priests suspected him of carrying
away the idol to his own town. They
followed him, but were unable to over
take the cart, as it had reached Dacore
by superhuman power in very short
space of time. They nevertheless pur-
sued him as far as Dacore. No sooner
did Boodhana hear Of their arrival than
he threw the idol into tank called
Gomtee" through fear, and went to the
priests alone. When the priests saw him
coming toward them they threw an ar
row at him which pierced his heart and
left him dead on the spot. The arrow
which killed Boodhana went also into
the waters of "Gomtee" and struck
the idol, which was lying in the
tank Thereupon the idol emitted
a vast quantity of blood, which
Redeemed the waters. The priests thus
came to know that the idol was concealed