Jain Journal 2005 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 15

JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XL, NO. 1 July 2005
in the well by the side of that vitex tree has alchemic effect and would turn iron into gold. It exactly happened so and Jinadatta established the capital and became the king and ruled for a long time.
The legendary story further takes some more turns and narrates some more fantastic incidents. But the main message of the legend is that goddess Padmāvati is much graceful, she protects one who believes in her and her power is still protecting the devotees who visit Humcha.
There is another interesting legend related to this Jinadatta's story itself. It is about a big and beautiful pond at Humcha. It is called*Pearl Pond' (muttinakere). Legend says that after so many years of happy ruling by Jinadatta, goddess created two pearls in this pond to test his mind. One pearl was pure and another had some stain. Someone found these pearls and honestly surrendered them to the king. King Jinadatta got prepared two nosi rings using these pearls. He presented the jewel with the pure pearl to his queen and the stained one to the goddess.
Here lies most symbolic expression of change in the human behaviour. Actually Jinadatta had to persent the best one to the goddess and the other one to the queen. But time causes change in human mind and he preferred his queen to the goddess who was all responsible for his upcoming
Indentifying this, the goddess decides to leave the place. She appears in the dream of the king, intimates her decision and says her statue will go down to the well (which had water with alchemic effect) and another statue which will be available at hillack behind the temple should be established in the temple. The king cries; then she assures that she would continue to protect people who come and pray her there. That promise is being kept by the goddess even after 1200 years.
2) Legends related to Shravanabelagola
There are many legends related to this place. These tell us about