Devotee pulls out eye to fulfil vow to God

Bagalkot, Karnataka, Aug 28 (UNI) An ardent devotee of Lord Shiva gouged out his right eye and put it at the feet of the god to fulfil his vow at Shankarayya Swamy Mutt at Adgal Village of this district today.

Police said Mudukappa Ellappa (41), a farmer, vowed to offer his right eye to God a few months ago.

In the early morning, he went to the Mutt and performed pooja.

Suddenly, he pulled out a knife, removed his eye and put it before the feet of the idol.

Somappa, a devotee, told UNI it happened in a split of second.

''He raised slogans like 'Jai Veera Bhadra.' We thought he was performing bhajan.

''Suddenly, he took out a knife, pushed it into his right eye and gouged it. All devotees were stunned at the horrible incident.'' Later, the devotees tried to shift the profusely bleeding Ellappa to hospital. But he refused to move from the Mutt and started peforming bhajans.

As the news spread, hundreds of villagers thronged the Mutt treating him as incarnation of Bhakta Kannappa.

However, the police shifted him to the Government Hospital in Bagalkot where he was being treated.

UNI XR GM SY VC2020