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 Before the erection of the idol, the chiseled icon was made to immerse in milk, water, grains, flowers, pulses, etc. This is done to bring 'power' and 'energy', to the idol. By bringing 'divinity' down to the level of the common man, the image becomes a personal God to the devotee.
A massive tank to hold the idol was made ready to immerse the Hanuman in 12,000 litres of milk for two days. Being summer, one would have expected the milk to crudle. Lo and behold! The milk remained as fresh as ever. No one was able to comprehend this phenomenon. The providential touch was discernible. The milk was then distributed among the devotees.
Similarly, when the idol was in 'water', after the stipulated period, the tank burst on its own. Vedic pundits felt that it was a good omen, saying that the all-pervading Lord's prowess was highlighted by this 'act'.
 With all the preliminary work over, the next step was the installation of the idol. A lotus shaped pedestal (peetam) was designed with a cavity to hold the idol. Precious gems were placed underneath the peetam to instil a divine aura. Measurements were calculated carefully as the idol was to stand on the lotus pedestal.
The installation work was done by a devotee who volunteered to execute the divine job. The devotee, with technical expertise in heavy duty erection work, considered it his prerogative to involve himself in the Lord's activities. The engineer considered it a service and did not charge the authorities. This stupendous work of installation was done by a specialist group from Kerala called 'Maplas'. Members of the group were austere and observed strict discipline during the period to uphold the sanctity and the holiness of their mission.
 At the appointed auspicious time, to the joy and happiness of the trustees and the devout gathering, the idol was installed on the pedestal without any problem. In fact, it was 'God' himself who found a place with great precision. Needless to say the trustees and the others involved in the work were in seventh heaven. Their absolute surrender to God is the acme of devotion. The sthapathi checked whether the idol was installed properly.
Another interesting episode was unravelled at this juncture. Lord Hanuman sprang a surprise. The sthapathi found that the eyes of the Lord was tilted towards the left. Did he chisel it that way? Why the sudden change? He was unable under the mystery. Face is the index of the mind, and the Lord showed his love for a devotee. Who was it?
To be continued
UshaRaja
Plot-93-D,
Second Main road,
Nanganallur,
Chennai-600061.
usharaja60@hotmail.com
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Anjaneyar
Temple-4
