Daijiworld Media Network – Gadag (MS)

Gadag, Jun 15: A family which believes that there is no better God than mother, offers pooja to her statue everyday as she passed away a year ago.

This unique family resides in Lakkalakatti village of Gajendragada taluk of the district. Benakanawari family lost their mother a year ago due to age related illness. Then the family got the statue of their beloved mother sculpted in Panchaloha and started offering pooja.

After the death of their mother Shivagangamma, her four sons and seven daughters felt like orphans. They were unable to accept the fact that she is no more.

Shivagangamma’s son Devanna Benakawari, who is a lecturer at Bagalkot discussed the matter with his sister Bhagyalaxmi and made a plan to get the idol of her mother sculpted.

The statue of Shivagangamma, which was sculpted at a cost of Rs 3 lac from Muralidhara Acharya of Bengaluru, was installed at the residence on the occasion of her first first death anniversary. Now the sons and daughters are seeing their mother live in the statue.

“At first the villagers laughed at the idea of sculpting mother’s statue. But I knew the value of mother. So I installed her statue at home. Now we feel that she is amongst us,” says her son Devanna.

Now, the villagers as well as those from nearby villages arrive at the residence of late Shivagangamma to see her statue and appreciate the thought of her children.