Villagers dedicate temple to 'saviour' bull

KANDELA (JIND): Back in 2002 when a bull saved protesting residents of Kandela - a sleepy hamlet in Haryana's Jind - from indiscriminate police firing, the animal transcended its mortal being and joined the league of Gods. After the bull died a natural death, the villagers built a temple in his fond memory. Today, this temple perhaps has more devotees than any other in the vicinity.
Ten years back, Kandela village had turned into a virtual battleground between farmers and the then INLD government led by Om Prakash Chautala. The villagers were up in arms against the government's power policy. They blocked the highway and mounted their agitation.
To quell the protest, Haryana cops opened fire on the villagers when the bull came charging towards the police and attacked them. Almost simultaneously, by divine providence, the police rifles stopped working and their vehicles got jammed. Even though a few villagers did lose their lives in the shooting, they believe that the bull emerged as a saviour and prevented many more deaths.
"Dada Kheda" (supreme authority), as the bull is addressed, breathed its last two years later in 2004. To pay tribute to it, a temple was constructed by the rural folks, where every Sunday the entire village assembles to offer prayers to its hero. A statue of the bull is enshrined in the shrine. Today, the temple, situated on the Jind-Chandigarh highway, is overseen by the village panchayat -- with one caretaker permanently posted for its upkeep. The caretaker keeps flame in an earthen pot burning round-the-clock and also performs 'aarti' (prayer) in the morning and evening.
Recounting the 2002 incident, Roshan Singh, a village veteran, told TOI that villagers are living happily today just because of the bull's blessings. "He saved our lives miraculously. I saw him confronting rifle-totting cops whose weapons stopped functioning and vehicles got stuck. Even the mounted cops fled seeing the aggression of the bull," said Roshan, who had received splinter injuries in the incident.
Kandela sarpanch Randhir Singh told TOI that the bull symbolizes destiny of the village and before starting any work, a new project or even when children attend school for the first time, a special prayer is offered at this temple. He added that every Sunday, special prayers are offered to "Dada Kheda" and it is just because of his blessings that the village has not faced any tragedy in the last one decade.