The False Mendicant
The Beginnings of Deception
Long ago, in a small village, there lived a poor man named Dolu. Unable to find a suitable job in his hometown, he set out for the city of Andhapur, where the people were steeped in superstitious beliefs.
Dolu, being a crafty fellow, decided to take advantage of the situation. He donned the garb of a holy man and pitched a tent on the outskirts of the city. Soon, news of the arrival of a holy man spread throughout town, and people began to crowd around him.
The Rise of a Fake Hermit
The townspeople vied with one another to honour the false hermit. Dolu found this life quite pleasant and moved into the temple, where he collected offerings from the locals and organized two grand festivals. His true intent, however, was to amass even more wealth.
During a meeting with the village elders, Dolu pompously declared, “Friends, tomorrow is the holy night of Sivarathri. We must light a lakh of lamps in honour of the Lord. If you do this, you will all prosper.” The people considered this a good idea and began collecting donations.
The Festival and the Unexpected Twist
As money flowed in, Dolu’s eyes glistened with greed. When the day of the festival arrived, the crowd turned out in droves. Among them was a man named Bolu, known as the village idiot. Though regarded as lacking intelligence, Bolu was a simple fellow who cared little for others’ opinions and was content to be viewed as a fool.
Upon noticing Bolu, Dolu gestured for him to come aside, pressed two rupees into his palm, and whispered secret instructions. Immediately, Bolu realized that Dolu was a fraud intending to deceive the townspeople. He decided to expose Dolu at the right moment.
The Unraveling of Deception
That night, the temple of Siva resonated with the rhythm of drums, and the luminous lamps cast long shadows on the ground. As the gathered crowd looked on, Dolu signalled to Bolu, who suddenly leapt to his feet and began swaying crazily from side to side.
Dolu, eager to maintain his ruse, exclaimed, “Oh! Devotees! Last night, the Lord appeared in my dream. We seem to have offended Him in some way. We must seek a remedy.” He then turned toward Bolu and asked seriously, “Holy Sir, tell us where we have gone wrong. We will do as you say.”
The people believed that the Lord spoke through possessed individuals and thus, willingly accepted whatever Bolu claimed. Dolu was hopeful that Bolu would recite the scripted lines he had prepared.
The Revelation
Bolu rolled his eyes dramatically and proclaimed, “Oh Dolu, you are indeed a true devotee. I invite you to Mount Kailas, my celestial abode. Make preparations for your journey immediately.” After rolling on the ground several times and muttering more words, Bolu abruptly declared that the Lord had left him.
The gullible residents of Andhapur were convinced that the Lord had spoken to them and were thrilled that Dolu had been chosen for the honour of ascending to heaven with his body intact. They promptly set about digging a grave to bury him.
The Downfall of the Fraud
When Dolu realized his plan had backfired, he ran to Bolu and scolded him. Ignoring Dolu’s pleas, Bolu and the village elders dragged Dolu to the edge of the hole and prepared to lower him in.
Desperate, Dolu fell at Bolu’s feet and begged for mercy. The astonished crowd contemplated the meaning of this scene, prompting Bolu to turn to them and say, “Friends, this man is a fake. He instructed me to act possessed and demand that you hand over your money. I intended to expose him and force him to confess his misdeeds publicly. If I had warned you earlier, you would not have believed me.”
The villagers looked at Dolu, instinctively recognizing his guilt in his expression. They gave him a good beating and chased him out of town, bringing an end to his deceitful antics.