IN UP, ‘CRYING’ HANUMAN IDOL
ALLAHABAD: Devotees thronged the Hanuman Temple in Meerganj locality of the city after the news spread that Lord Hanuman’s idol was shedding tears, shrine officials said on Saturday.
People started flocking to the temple since early morning to watch the ‘miracle’. “The devotees started chanting ‘Hanuman Chalisa’, Ram Dhun and devotional songs after witnessing the miracle. Some also saw it as a bad omen,” temple priest Rajbhawan Pandey told HT.
The priest said he spotted what appeared like ‘tears’ flowing from the eyes of Lord Hanuman’s idol when he reached the temple in the morning. “The news spread like wildfire after which devotees started arriving from near and far,” he added.
Policemen from the local outpost also reached the temple to control the crowd.
Scientists, however, said the development could be the result of a chemical reaction.
“A proper study is required to identify the reason for the ‘tears’. Presence of mercuric oxide in vermillion which is usually applied in multiple layers on the idols of Lord Hanuman all over the country may be behind the phenomenon. Mercuric oxide can absorb water without dissolving in it. Once saturation point is reached, the excess water starts rolling down the idol which may be taken as ‘tears’. However, the process will be visible for a short duration,” said Jagdamba Singh, professor of chemistry at Allahabad University.