India was ruled by the British for centuries. And that is the reason we are now celebrating the patriotic days of Independence Day and Republic Day.
Though we have learned an ample amount of history about our own country, we might not still be aware of its glory and alluring places entirely. You should have to travel centuries back to know about your own wonderland and what really captivates the eyes of the outsiders! Meanwhile, the British could not even accept and understand the tradition and culture of Indians. However, they were always meant to be outsiders for Indians. The British started building awe-inspiring churches and converted Indians into Christians. But they were said to be inspired with the jaw-dropping architectural talents of India and the highly lauding temples as well. Though we hear several stories about British, this one is new for you to know about the white couple who built the temple at Madhya Pradesh in India.
Shiva Temple Built by an Englishman:
While the British were converting people into Christianity, this couple built a temple right here in India around 1883. What was the reason behind spending money on renovating a temple? In 1879, Lieutenant Colonel C Martin was posted in the Agar Malwa area and he was battling against Afghans. Later, he was transferred to the frontier and he used to write letters to his wife expressing her that he was still alive. But when the fight turned out to be equally tough, the letters were stopped. Now that, Martin’s wife seemed to be worrying about him, there were no ways to communicate with her husband and it started to reflect on her health.
Once Lady Martin was riding on her horse and she crossed the Baijnath Mahadev temple. She heard mantras chanting and went inside. She expressed her problems to the Brahmans at the temple. They told her about Lord Shiva who could relieve his devotees from the problems by listening to their prayers. They also advised chanting “Om Namah Shivaya” for the next 11 days. She prayed that if her husband was safe, she would renovate the temple. It was literally on the 11th day she got the answers for her prayer through a letter from her husband expressing her that he was alive and they won as well. Yet it has another story to tell you that the letter from her husband explained that he was captured by Afghan soldiers and was rescued by a Yogi. Martin also added that Yogi explained to him about how he was very much moved by the devotion of his wife and that was why he was there to save him.
Filled with merriment, Lady Martin had fallen for the divine powers of Lord Shiva. Later, the couple donated Rs. 15,000 and renovated the entire temple. They even turned to be devotees when they returned to their Motherland. 15,000 rupees was a huge amount way back in 1883. However, you could still read the history of the temple in the scripture of the temple.
