The promo for this one was compelling enough to make me check at least one episode out. It was about a place called Unakoti in one of India's Northeastern states - Tripura. It's a mountainous area surrounded by thick forest and scattered in this forest are innumerable carved and stone idols of Hindu Gods as well as Goddesses. It is evident that such a massive project must have involved a lot of artisans, executed over a considerable period of time and thus undertaken by some kingdom but there is no trace of it anywhere in history. Consequently, it is a mystery as to who were the creators of Unakoti, when did they create it and why. A lot of legends are told. Most of them based on its name - Unakoti, which in Bengali means one less to 1 Crore.
The first legend is about the trip that 1 Crore Gods were taking to Varanasi with Lord Shiva. By sundown they ended up in the vicinity of Raghunandan mountain (as Unakoti was called in the early days). They were tired so it was decided to spend the night on the mountain and start at the daybreak. Yet, the rising sun saw only Lord Shiva get up. The rest of the party was fast asleep. Lord Shiva left for Varanasi and cursed that the rest of the Gods be turned into stone idols right where they were sleeping.
Another legend involves a devotee of Goddess Parvati called Kallukumar. He wanted to travel with Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati to mount Kailas. Lord Shiva wasn't very keen on that so he told Kallukumar that he will take him with them if he could make 1 Crore idols in one night. Kallukumar toiled through the night but till morning one idol was short of the 1 Crore target. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati left for Kailash leaving poor Kallukumar behind with his idols.
A different version depicts Kallukumar as the master sculptor who was commissioned to carve out 1 Crore idols of Gods by a king. Kallukumar made one God idol less and instead made one idol of himself.
The last legend that the anchor mentioned was about the Gods leaving earth to go to the heavens at the beginning of Kaliyug - because earth would not be a good place to reside at. But they left their idols behind for anyone wanting to pray to them or seek their blessings. I am not sure why anyone would want to pray to a God who goes to the cozy comforts of the heavens and leaves behind the devotees to suffer.
The anchor summed up the mystery and allure of the place well when he said that "We cannot know much about any historical place unless the place itself wants to reveal its secrets. Unakoti isn't yet ready to do so. When it is, we will come back." Amen to that!
The first legend is about the trip that 1 Crore Gods were taking to Varanasi with Lord Shiva. By sundown they ended up in the vicinity of Raghunandan mountain (as Unakoti was called in the early days). They were tired so it was decided to spend the night on the mountain and start at the daybreak. Yet, the rising sun saw only Lord Shiva get up. The rest of the party was fast asleep. Lord Shiva left for Varanasi and cursed that the rest of the Gods be turned into stone idols right where they were sleeping.
Another legend involves a devotee of Goddess Parvati called Kallukumar. He wanted to travel with Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati to mount Kailas. Lord Shiva wasn't very keen on that so he told Kallukumar that he will take him with them if he could make 1 Crore idols in one night. Kallukumar toiled through the night but till morning one idol was short of the 1 Crore target. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati left for Kailash leaving poor Kallukumar behind with his idols.
A different version depicts Kallukumar as the master sculptor who was commissioned to carve out 1 Crore idols of Gods by a king. Kallukumar made one God idol less and instead made one idol of himself.
The last legend that the anchor mentioned was about the Gods leaving earth to go to the heavens at the beginning of Kaliyug - because earth would not be a good place to reside at. But they left their idols behind for anyone wanting to pray to them or seek their blessings. I am not sure why anyone would want to pray to a God who goes to the cozy comforts of the heavens and leaves behind the devotees to suffer.
The anchor summed up the mystery and allure of the place well when he said that "We cannot know much about any historical place unless the place itself wants to reveal its secrets. Unakoti isn't yet ready to do so. When it is, we will come back." Amen to that!
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