Ahalya- Hindu FigureMortal"The Flawless One"
Also known as: Ahilya, अहल्या, and Ahalyā
Description
Brahma fashioned Ahalya without flaw and gave her to the sage Gautama. Indra crowed like a rooster to lure Gautama out at false dawn, then took the sage's form to deceive her. Gautama's curse turned her to stone. She lay forgotten until Rama's touch restored her.
Mythology & Lore
Indra's Deception
Brahma fashioned Ahalya as the most beautiful woman in the world and gave her to the sage Gautama. They lived at their ashram in the forest.
Indra, king of the gods, desired her. Taking the form of a rooster, he crowed before dawn to draw Gautama out for his morning ablutions. Then, disguising himself as the sage, Indra entered the ashram and approached Ahalya. The Valmiki Ramayana's Bala Kanda leaves her awareness ambiguous: she recognizes Indra but does not resist. When Gautama returned and discovered the deception, he cursed them both. Indra lost his virility. Ahalya was turned to stone.
Rama's Foot
She lay at the ashram for ages, invisible and forgotten. When Rama passed through the forest during his exile, his guru Vishvamitra led him to the abandoned hermitage. Rama's foot touched the stone. Ahalya was restored to her original form. Gautama accepted her back.
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