Kukurdev Temple, Khapri – Legends

Kukurdev Temple, Khapri – Legends

Kukurdev Temple:

As per local folklore, once a banjara (gypsy) named Malighori lived here with his dog. During a famine, he had no money, so he gave up his dog as collateral to a moneylender. One day, there was a theft in the moneylender’s house. The dog saw where the thieves hid all the stolen goods and dragged the moneylender to the place, who retrieved the stolen goods.

The moneylender then wrote a letter to the banjara, expressing his gratitude for the dog, and further stated that he had written off all the debts owed by the banjara. He tied this letter to the dog’s neck and sent him as a messenger to the banjara. However, when the banjara saw his dog coming back from the moneylender’s house, he beat the dog so hard with a stick that the dog died.

After the dog died, the banjara saw the letter around the dog’s neck and realized what had actually happened. In sorrow and remorse, he built Kukur Samadhi in the temple courtyard in memory of his beloved dog. Later someone also installed a dog statue. Even today, this place is famous as the Kukurdev Temple.

Rinmukteshwar:

The temple has the reputation of being Rinmukteshwar, where one is liberated from debts. Legend has it that Adi Shankaracharya came to this location to be freed from all the debts he owed his guru.