Valentine deity for couples

Chennai: Starry eyed Valentine Day couples exchanging flowers, cards and gifts on February 14 can soon seek divine blessings at a temple exclusively being built for them at an obscure village 90 km from here, with its main deity being Lord Krishna, the symbol of eternal love. The temple, a brainchild of R Jaganaath of Chennai-based Gokulalakhsmi Trust, is coming up at Sholinger in Vellore district and is expected to be ready in about two months.

"Lord Krishna is believed to have had about 16,000 wives and every day was Valentine?s Day for him. My intention in building it is to mix devotion with love. It can be Krishna`s love for his devotees and their love for him," says Jagannath. Lord Krishna, with his sweetheart Radha will now literally get into his new avatar of the God of Love, he says. He points out that in Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna was synonymous with love and was adored by the fairer sex of all age groups. A marble statue depicting Krishna and Radha with a cow and a calf besides them will adorn the temple. In a break with tradition in South India, devotees will be allowed to touch the statue of the Lord, "for what is love without touch?" he asked. PTI