A Memorable Work

Bodhan Singh had many influential relatives in the court of the king. Through their connections, he secured a position as an administrator and was assigned to Jaipatna.

Within a few months, the people of Jaipatna grew weary of Bodhan’s conduct. He was completely unfamiliar with the laws and rules of administration but was eager to present himself as a great administrator. The respectable individuals in the area discreetly informed the king about his complete inefficiency, leading to the king recalling him to the capital.

Determined to leave a memorable legacy for Jaipatna, Bodhan lamented, “How can I depart without accomplishing something significant? My predecessor built a temple; I want to demolish it and construct a new one.” The townspeople felt apprehensive about this idea. One bold individual suggested, “Sir, that would take too much time. If you shift the temple back by two feet, it will be tantamount to building a new temple.”

Bodhan found the suggestion appealing, and he summoned the townsfolk to push the temple backward. To mark the spot where the temple should be moved, he placed his turban on the ground. The people pretended to push the temple, and after a while, someone asked, “Sir, has it reached your turban?” Unbeknownst to Bodhan, they had discreetly removed the turban from under the structure.

When Bodhan noticed his turban was missing, he exclaimed, “You fellows pushed it a foot or so more than necessary! My turban was buried under it!” The people of Jaipatna preserved the turban for a long time to retell this amusing story to others.