Maderna, Bhanwari Devi

Jaipur, Sept. 27: Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna is desperately seeking God.

And, of course, a mortal called Bhanwari Devi, whose alleged rape, abduction and murder has put him in a spot.

On Saturday, the Congress minister visited the popular Shani Dham temple in Jodhpur’s Shastri Nagar and prayed for divine intervention. Priest Hemant Bohra suggested an 11-day Shani jaap puja — a “cleansing ritual” said to have the powers to bring out the truth.

Maderna is said to have readily agreed to do the puja, which involves reciting the Shani Raksha Kawaj jaap 1.25 lakh times from 8 to 10 in the morning.

Yesterday, five priests started reciting the mantra, with a dummy of the missing nurse in the hope that she is “found quickly”. The puja will end on October 6.

The knock on the doors of divinity came after Rajasthan High Court asked investigating officials to probe the case faster and a trial court ordered police to register a case of rape and murder against the 59-year-old minister who is alleged to have had illicit relations with the nurse.

Bhanwari, 36, has been missing since September 3, soon after a video clip purportedly showing her and Maderna in a compromising position became public.

Although many politicians and aspiring ones pray at the Shani Dham temple on Saturdays, Maderna’s visit on September 24 was his first to the shrine.

Maderna, of course, can say greater persons than him have tried to make peace with higher powers when in trouble. The venerated Vishwamitra himself is said to have done it.

Legend has it that Vishwamitra, then King Kusha, tried to take Nandini, Kamadhenu’s offspring with miraculous powers, by force, but sage Vasishtha turned the attacker’s 100 sons into stone.

Kusha then became a sage and emerged as Vishwamitra, the friend of all, after long years of meditation and penance.

Maderna’s penance — by proxy, though — will be restricted to just 11 days, but priest Bohra appeared confident that it would deliver results. “The Shani jaap is a very powerful mantra and depends on the right pronunciation. If performed truthfully and with full devotion, it has given desired results for many of my clients,” Bohra told The Telegraph.

“We have even placed a dummy of Bhanwari Devi during the ceremony and are praying that she be found quickly and that her family also gets peace of mind.”

Bohra said if Maderna was innocent, the ritual would free him of all taint, but would indict him if he is guilty.