Shepherd loses a sheep, finds a treasure

[Gauracandra]

September 11, 2001 Posted: 5:15 AM EDT (0915 GMT)

 

By Andrew Demaria

CNN Hong Kong

 

NEW DEHLI, India (CNN) -- An Indian shepherd has hit the jackpot after stumbling upon an ancient temple while searching for a lost sheep.

 

The shepherd's chance find in south Kashmir in August last year has netted him and his family something of a money spinner, the Indian Express newspaper reported.

 

After confirming that the shepherd, Ghulam Qadir, had indeed found an ancient Shiv temple, the local tourism department said Qadir was entitled to 10 percent of cash offerings made at the temple over the next five years.

 

Which is more than enough compensation for the lost sheep, whose fate is still unknown.

 

While searching for the wayward animal, Qadir noticed an opening to a cave. After crawling into the cave, Qadir discovered a one-foot high stone bust of the god Shiva, the report said.

 

"I was worried, I didn't know what to tell my family. Par Allah nu kujh hor hi manzoor si (God had something else in store for me)," Qadir was quoted as saying.

 

Excited by the find, Qadir ran and told his father-in-law who photographed the site and contacted officials.

 

The officials confirmed the find, located at an altitude of 12,500 feet (3,800 meters).

 

Estimated to be 1,500 years old, some have already anointed it as a second Amarnath shrine.

 

Every year thousands of worshippers flock to the shrine in Kashmir.

 

The month long pilgrimage, or yatra, is one of the few sources of income for villagers in the area and Qadir's discovery bodes well for the local economy devastated by years of violence.