The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-06-16
THE PROLOGUE.
Continued.

This was very exclusive idol, Ind
a visit from it was esteemed as an
overwhelming distinction throughout
Mysore; in fact, it only went out once
a year to confer with an extremely
well-connected idol of Vishnu at a
mandapam, or sacred rest house, half
way from their respective temples,
but on this occasion Ram Chunga' S
influence had enabled the rule to be
relaxed in Siva's honor.
Here it was accordingly, and a
rich pavilion was put up at one end
of the compound, within which the
distinguished visitor was installe
and, this done, the Brahmans entered
the temple and came out bearing the
woodworking image of silva, which
was hailed with acclamations while it
was being reserently deposited in the
pavilion by the side of Brahma
And then, as the gods would neces-
sarily have many things to say to
one another, the hangings were
drawn, and the priests made ring
round the pavilion, and stood guard
ing it from vulgar curiosity.
At last the gods had had sufficient
time to exchange views, and it was
time to crafty them with the minis
trations of the dancing girls, before
the united idols were placed upon the
chariot and carried home together in
pomp
So the tom-toms were ratified and
thumped with fervor, and the torches
made the compound light as day, as
the dancing girls, in robes of purple
and orange and green, edged with
glittering silver tissue, prepared to
go through their dreamy and DELHI
crate evolutions, accompanied by
chants like the cry of the midnight
cat, and Ram Chunga gave the sig
nal for the hangings to be drawn
back.
A universal shrek marked their
withdrawal, as the torchlight shed it's
fierce glare upon the interior Ram
Chunga grew green, and his teeth
chartered, as well they might; even
Acharya Chick, as he gazed from
afar, could hardly trust his eyesight.
For the sacred idol of Brahma was
broken into dozen pieces; his arms
were planted, with considerable taste
and fancy, in various corners of the
floor; and worse still, the hardly-won
idol of silva was in the same plight,
it's fragments arranged in pyramid
upon the principal throne, upon the
very summit of which squatted, with
bland smile on it's SNUG features,
the despised image of Chalanka, the
least and lowest of the Jain tirthan-
kars.
The naughty Ram Chunga, savage
~ accepting his defeat, wrapped his
shawl about him and made his way
through the shiverfng dancing girls
and awestruck villagers, out of the
precincts of the temple where he had
been so signally discounted.
The jams, realizing that their
"ugly duckling" of an idol had
proved more than match for the
chief personages of the Hindoo myth
ology, now ventured boldly forth and
carried Chalanka's image with re-
joicing into the idol chamber, where
they were joined by Acharya Chick
"Henceforth, cried Murli Dass,
trumphantly, "our reverence is due
to Chalanka alone; he has delivered
us-he has shown himself mighter
than the gods of old; mightier than
the blessed tirthankars! Tell us, oh,
Father, is it not so?"
Acharya Chick looked at the idol
with an uncomfortable feeling of re-
pulsion. ut is even So" he said,
"and may he prove himself as benev-
client as he is mighty"
From that hour the fame of Cha
lanka was established, and spreading
further with every day. The other
tirthankars were entirely discarded
by the jams Of the locality, who
transferred their entire homage 10
the last translated saint.
Thus, for some years, shrine and
idol flourished, and the village found
spiritual and commercial benefit from
the circumstance, until the bad times
came when Tippoo Sahib took it into
his ill-regulated head to force the
Mussulman faith Unfortunately
upon all his subjects.
Temples Of various denominations
We're wantonly destroyed, and the
idols buried by their custodians until
brighter days should dawn; and pos
sibly some such fate as this befell
the shrine of Chalanka, for no rec
ord of it is to be found later than
the fall of Seringapatam and the an
nexation of Mysore by Great Britain.