In a story gone viral, an Andhra woman built a temple for her dead husband and has given ‘pati parmeshwar’ a new meaning. We all have heard that true love never dies, but the woman, identified as Padmavathi, has epitomized the meaning of true love in a unique way. In videos gone viral, Padmavathi can be seen worshipping the idol of her dead husband in Prakasam district.
Details
We all have heard the stories of Shah Jehan, who symbolized the meaning of true love by making a beautiful mausoleum in Agra called the Taj Mahal. The monument later became one of the seven wonders of the world, and in used as a reference whenever conversations about true love arise.
While an ostentatious mausoleum would be something outlandish in this day and age, an Andhra woman has gone viral for doing something similar to the Mughal emperor. She recently built a temple in the memory of her dead husband.
The Facts of the Matter
You heard it right. A literal temple, with a bust sized idol of the dead husband as a shrine. The woman hails from Andhra Pradesh and her videos of worshipping her husband’s idol have gone viral. Speaking to media, the woman, who’s identified as Padmavathi, said that it was her way of keeping the memory of her late husband alive.
Constructed in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district, the temple comprises of a bust-size white colored marble statue of Padmavathi’s husband. Padmavathi and her husband Gurukula shared a 11-year relationship where they were tied by the bonds of marriage.
“Always saw women worshiping their husbands”: Padmavathi
Padmavathi is the resident of the Pondili mandal’s Nimmavanam village. Speaking to the local media, Padmavathi said that in her family she has witnessed wives worshiping their husbands. So, when her husband untimely passed away due to a road accident, she thought of continuing the tradition and thus, constructed a temple.
Special Prayers on Saturday, Sunday; Food Served to Locals
The temple is just like every other temple we see in our localities, towns and cities. Not only does it have an idol, but a special pooja is performed by Padmavathi on every Saturday, Sunday and full moon days. She also distributes free food to people in the memory of her husband Gurukula.
Husband Told to Make Temple in Dream
In her interview to the local media, she claimed that the local villages believe that they will witness good fortune if they offer prayers at her own temple. Falling in line with several stories of a temple’s creation coming from a divine intervention, Padmavathi’s temple too was made after she had a dream in which he asked her to build a temple for him.
Karnataka Man Sets Up Wife’s Statue in ‘Dream Home’
It should be noted that this is not the first time in India a person made a living idol of their long-lost partner to honour their life. Earlier in 2020, a Karnataka businessman made buzz after he set up the statue of her late wife in their ‘dream home’.
Srinivas Murthy, a businessman from Koppal, #Karnataka installed a life size statue of his late wife at newly-constructed home. His wife Madhavi died in an accident in 2017. Statue was built inside the living room with the help of architect Mahesh Rangannadavaru. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/oTKZ4kkSQg
— Darshan Devaiah B P (@DarshanDevaiahB) August 11, 2020
The Karnataka based businessman had installed a lifelike statue of her late wife, who had died in a car crash in 2017, in a home they both were planning to make. An Indian Express report quoted the man saying, “The house which was constructed is my wife’s plan and it was her dream to construct a house. But unfortunately, she passed away in a car accident.”
He further added, “I was introduced to Mahesh Rangannadavaru, an architect who creates silicon wax statues. I gave an order and also gave my wife’s photos and finally, I got this realistic statue.”
