04/30/2026
Jai Mata Di! Recently, I travelled to work on the restoration of 10 large marble murtis at the Shiv Durga Shakti Dham temple.
An electrical short circuit had caused a fire in the temple. The resulting smoke left heavy soot deposits on the marble statues, turning them almost completely black. In the urgency of the situation, the cleaning attempts by local community unfortunately spread the stains further and worsened the condition of the original marble murti.
I had no prior connection with the temple, but somehow this opportunity to offer my service came to me. Over the course of 6 days, I worked intensively, putting in nearly 60 hours, to carefully clean the statues, restore their surface tones, and bring back the intricate details.
The temple is located in a very remote rural area. Apart from a small gas station and a convenience store, anything essential required a 30-minute drive into town. The surroundings consisted of open land, farms, and barns. There were no street lights on the roads, just vast open fields, deer moving around, and the constant sound of the wind across the plains.
Through this work, I had the opportunity to restore 10 deities. These included 3 ft murtis of Radha Krishna, Ram Lakshman Sita Hanuman, Ganapati and Shiva Parvati, along with the main 7 ft idol of Maa Durga.
At times, it truly felt like what we call âMata ka bulavaâ, a divine calling. It felt as if this work was meant to be done through me. The temple made excellent arrangements for travel, stay, and transportation. With strong support from my family, I was able to take up this work immediately without hesitation.
Being in such a quiet and isolated environment while doing this work gave me a deep sense of reflection, spiritual connection, and fulfilment through service.
By the end of the 6 days, all the work was completed, and the murtis were restored to their original presence.
©Preetam Gogate
Rekhatan Ganesh Murti
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