Village basks in religious glory as "miracles" spring forth

As it did for the last 10 to 15 years without attracting a soul. Then two months ago — according to one story — a leper, Sanwara of Khar Khar village in Sikar district, came here, took a bath and was cured.

The news spread, the temple of a saint, Bharathari, barely yards away from the quarry, lent its sanctity to the site and the devoted flocked. Today, “It looks as if a mini Kumbh is going on here,” says Navneet, who has come from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh.

Shamianas have been put up, tea stalls have come up, there are separate enclosures for women and mithai shops are sweetening the atmosphere. No camelcaravans plod through the village; instead, Esteems, Zens, Sumos, bearing licence numbers of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, zip to the site.

The open space around the 50-feet deep quarry has been converted into a bathing arena for them. Braving a slippery descent, they jostle to fetch the water in buckets and jerry cans to bathe their ailments away.

In fact, Bayal has stolen the thunder from Neem ka Thana, a village just 32 km from here, that had shot into limelight during a solar eclipse a few years ago. But, Neem ka Thana had a solid, scientific reason behind its prominence: Avid sky gazers got a good view of the “diamond-ring formation” caused by the eclipse.

Bayal’s water may have only sulphur to recommend itself. Although the results of water samples sent to a laboratory at Karnal are yet to come, some experts believe the water has this chemical, known to cure skin diseases.

Says Dr V D Bhardwaj, civil surgeon of Mahender Garh, “We have not found a single case at the sitewhich has been fully cured.” Bhardwaj holds that patients of muscular and nervous disorders, paralysis and all other wasting diseases cannot be cured with a bath. “It is more due to the hype generated by the media that people are thronging this place,” he says. “In fact, many have come here due to their religious beliefs.”

Belief that even makes them drink the water reverentially or like Subhash (who left the Ganges behind in Haridwar to come here) cook their food with it.

Even the district administration has been moved to think of endowing this place with the status of a religious shrine. Mahender Garh, Deputy Commissioner S S Prasad spoke to The Indian Express and outlined his programme: “We are going to cordon off the quarry first since hordes of people are camping there and the earth could cave in. We will fence it and install motors to lift the water which will be stored in tanks. The road leading to the site will be fully macadamized, provision for drinking water is beingmade.”

Prasad believes it is just a matter time before Bayal becomes a popular religious spot. But, he doesn’t buy its magical properties. “At the moment we are monitoring it,” he says. “The whole affair may die down within a few days. We are not committing too much initially.”

But, many having experienced the water’s curative effects, are. An electrician who has come from Delhi, Satyabir, recounts how his skin rash (“All over my skin and there were small incisions”) has subsided and the incisions have healed. A rickshaw puller from Kothputli in Rajasthan, Radhey Shyam, tells of his wife, Rekha, who had trouble walking and stammered while speaking. She still stammers, but the walking problem vanished after she drank the water.

Daughters have been cured of leucoderma, the elderly of paralysis, some have even found peace. “It is a pavitra dham (sacred place). People who are ill and suffering get comfort here,” says Bihari Lal of village Tigra. We can all do with it.