And I thought miracles don't happen these days..

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http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/nov/13monk.htm

 

Temple monkey leads police to stolen idol

 

Jatindra Dash in Bhubaneswar

 

A monkey played a key role in the recovery of one of

two idols stolen

from

the world-famous Jagannath temple in Puri, 56km from

the state capital

Bhubaneswar, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

 

The idol of Madan Mohan, made of ashtadhatu, an alloy

of eight metals

including gold and silver and weighing 18 kilograms,

was found in a

well

inside the 12th century temple complex on Monday.

 

Idols of Madan Mohan and Narayan, both avatars of the

god Jagannath,

were

stolen on Sunday, shocking Hindus who rushed to the

temple town from

all

parts of the state for a glimpse of the shrine. Some

30,000 devotees

also

began a fast, ending it only after the recovery of one

of the idols.

The Oriya language daily Dharitri reported that had it

not been for a

monkey

that lives in the temple complex the police would

still be searching

for the

Madan Mohan idol.

 

While police were searching the temple complex, the

monkey kept raising

its

paw and making sounds to attract the attention of the

officer

supervising

the work, the paper reported.

 

The officer, Ajit Das, did not take the animal

seriously. But some

priests

advised him to approach it. As Das walked towards the

animal it again

raised

its paws and pointed towards a well.

 

Taking the cue, the police pumped water out from the

well to find the

idol

at the bottom, the paper reported.

 

Monkeys are often in the news in Orissa, but for all

the wrong reasons.

Only

two days ago the same newspaper had reported an

incident where a monkey

had

plunged an entire town into darkness by causing a

short circuit at a

powerhouse.

 

The entire state has been put on high alert and police

are checking

vehicles

and even interrogating people accused of idol

smuggling in the past.

Thirteen policemen have been sacked and the four who

guarded the temple

complex have been arrested.

 

"We suspect that the second idol may also be inside

the temple

premises. We

are pumping out water from all the 11 wells located

inside the

complex,"

state police chief N C Padhi said.

 

 

 

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