சுமார் 20-22 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்பு 'தி இந்தியன் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ்' நாளிதழில் வெளி வந்த புத்தர் சிலை பற்றிய ஒரு செய்தியை இங்கு பங்கிடுவதில் மகிழ்ச்சி. திருச்சி சிதம்பரம் நெடும் சாலையில் லால்குடி அருகே உள்ள இந்த சிலையை தொல்லியல் துறை தன வசம் எடுக்க முயன்ற பொது அங்குள்ள கிராம மக்கள் தங்களுக்கு எதாவது இன்னல் நேரும் என எண்ணி அம்முயற்சியை தடுத்து விட்டனர். மேலும் ஒரு நாள் ஒரு விவசாயின் கனவில் சிலை அருகே உள்ள தன நிலத்தில் அறுவடைக்கு தயாரான நிலையில் இருந்த விளைச்சல்களை திருடர்கள் அறுத்து கொண்டு இருப்பதாக கனவு கண்ட உடன் திடுக்கிட்டு ஆட்களுடன் அங்கு சென்ற போது உண்மையிலேயே திருடர்கள் அவ்வாறு செய்வது கண்டு விரட்டி அடித்துள்ளனர். தனக்கு புத்தரே உதவி செய்ததாக நினைத்த நில உரிமையாளர் கோயில் கட்ட நினைத்து கற்களை மாட்டு வண்டியில் சுமந்து வந்த போது வண்டியின் அச்சு முறிந்து கவிழ்த்தது. புத்தர் தனக்கு வேலி போடுவதை விரும்ப வில்லை என அறிந்து அப்படியே பஞ்ச பூதங்களுக்கு உட்பட்ட இயற்கை நிலையிலேயே விட்டு விட்டு வழி படுகின்றனர்! Lord Buddha Never wanted to be trapped inside. He is open to all. FOLLOWING IS THE NEWS ITEM THAT APPEARED nearly 22 years AGO IN THE INDIAN EXPRESS Tamil Nadu Edition The contents of the news item I give hereunder, under the caption 'GUARDIAN OF THE FIELDS'
"The Stone Buddha sits calmly on the border of a farm near the road about four km from Lalgudi on the Tiruchi- Chidambaram highway near here. To the Passerby, it looks like any old statue found in ruined temples. But to the locals, the statue, said to be over a thousand years old, is more than that. It is their guardian diety. Some years ago, the owner of the land on which the statue sits, had it carried to the roadside, so that farming in his land would not be hampered But that year, the crops in the entire area failed. The villagers believed that this was a curse for shifting the statue, and made haste to shift it back to its original position. People from the Archaeological Department, and the then District Collector wanted to take the statue to the Tiruchi, but the villagers resisted their efforts fearing serious repercussions. A few years ago, the statue gave evidence of its godly powers. The owner of the land dreamt one night that thieves were harvesting the cumbu crop in his fields. He woke up with a start, collected some villages, and rushed to his fields. When the group got there, there were indeed thieves harvesting the crop! The villages decided to construct the temple for the statue, some time back. Accordingly, they put up a big platform. Carved pillars were brought to the spot in a new bullock cart built for the purpose. But, when it reached the venue, the cart collapsed and fell into pieces. The villagers thought this was the Lord’s way of showing that He did not want the trappings of a temple. So they let the statue be. And so He sits there, braving the elements, guarding the crops."
தகவல்கள் உதவி: திரு ராம் சந்திரசேகரன்
"The Stone Buddha sits calmly on the border of a farm near the road about four km from Lalgudi on the Tiruchi- Chidambaram highway near here. To the Passerby, it looks like any old statue found in ruined temples. But to the locals, the statue, said to be over a thousand years old, is more than that. It is their guardian diety. Some years ago, the owner of the land on which the statue sits, had it carried to the roadside, so that farming in his land would not be hampered But that year, the crops in the entire area failed. The villagers believed that this was a curse for shifting the statue, and made haste to shift it back to its original position. People from the Archaeological Department, and the then District Collector wanted to take the statue to the Tiruchi, but the villagers resisted their efforts fearing serious repercussions. A few years ago, the statue gave evidence of its godly powers. The owner of the land dreamt one night that thieves were harvesting the cumbu crop in his fields. He woke up with a start, collected some villages, and rushed to his fields. When the group got there, there were indeed thieves harvesting the crop! The villages decided to construct the temple for the statue, some time back. Accordingly, they put up a big platform. Carved pillars were brought to the spot in a new bullock cart built for the purpose. But, when it reached the venue, the cart collapsed and fell into pieces. The villagers thought this was the Lord’s way of showing that He did not want the trappings of a temple. So they let the statue be. And so He sits there, braving the elements, guarding the crops."
தகவல்கள் உதவி: திரு ராம் சந்திரசேகரன்
