Meet the cops'presiding deity

This story was done with the crime reporter S M Shashi Prasad, during my stint with the Bangalore Mirror in 2007-08. We both were covering a routine media briefing by the Bangalore city police commissioner, when I noticed that a large number of policemen gathered outside a small makeshift room next to the file room at the commissionarate. I quickly got all the details myself and left the spot since I had to hurry inside for the media briefing. By the time the briefing was over the place where I had been earlier was also empty. I quickly briefed the reporter about the news and he agreed to get some official quotes for the story and we went ahead with the joint credit the next day.

A 50-year-old temple in police commissionerate premises shifted to new spot.

Old-timers in the city police commissioner's office (COP) narrate a tale of how a gardener unearthed an idol while digging in the premises around 50 years ago. He build a small temple at the spot after providential intervention - God appeared in his dream and mooted the idea!

Thus came up the Sri Muneshwara temple, which superstitious cops believe guards the main building. However, it was never maintained and was cleaned only during the rare poojas organized by the cops or the public. But matters changed when Seetharam Shastri, who took charge as reserve police head constable in the late 80's, decided to give the temple a makeover. "I cleaned up the temple surroundings which was littered with dead leaves. Since the past 19 years, it's my routine to perform pooja every morning and evening," said Shastri, now an RSI (reserve sub-inspector).

With the old commissionerate building giving way to a new one, the idol was relocated to a new spot in the COP premises on Wednesday. Though the engineers had promised to retain the temple at the existing spot, it had to be shifted due top some technical problem.
Around 40 families living in India and abroad visit the Muneshwara temple annually. "They visit the deity when they either buy a new vechicle or before marrige functions or when their children bag a good job," said Shastri.
Shastri uses the funds donated to maintain the temple. 'It's commendable that men in kahkhi are keeping alive such rel;igious traditions," said M K Veeresh, a frequent visitor to this temple.
The canteen in the COP supplies free prasad every Saturday when a special pooja is conducted.

WHEN PRAYERS BORE FRUIT

* A police officer in the rank of sub-inspector once prayed to the deity for his marriage to materialise. Presto! Within a month, he tied the knot.
* An unemployeed youth prayed to the deity for a job in the police department. His prayers were answered. After a long career, he retired as an SI. he visits the temple every year in gratitute.