The old homeless man was honored with a shrine.

(Baonghean.vn) - He was once a wandering old farmer, earning a living by doing odd jobs. Nameless, without relatives, he died under a tree, yet after his death, local people pooled their money to build a spacious shrine and erect a bronze statue for worship. Locals call this the Old Man's Shrine.

The Co Temple was built in a spacious and impressive manner thanks to contributions from the local people.

Located about 500 meters from National Highway 1A, the Co Temple is a well-built structure with a spacious grounds in Block 9, Cau Giat town (Quynh Luu district, Nghe An province). No one knows the name, age, or hometown of the person buried there; according to the oldest residents, they heard stories from their elders about seeing the tomb when they were young.

A bronze statue of the late ancestor is placed right in the middle of the shrine.

Ms. Dang Thi Thach, a member of the temple's caretaker committee, said that no one in the village knows the exact whereabouts of Co. When I was little, I often heard stories that he was a poor old farmer who worked as a hired laborer in the Cau Giat area to make ends meet, and his only possession was a hoe.

Having no relatives or a home, every evening after a day of work, the old man would return to the ancient banyan tree to rest. One day, when people didn't see him go to work, they went to the tree and found him dead. Out of compassion, the villagers bought a mat, wrapped him in it, and buried him right next to the banyan tree. After he died, the banyan tree also withered and died.

There is also a rock garden surrounding the temple.

Back then, my great-grandfather's grave was just a mound of earth, next to a banyan tree, overgrown with grass, surrounded by rice fields. People passing by, out of pity for the lack of someone to offer incense, would often take handfuls of earth and stones and place them on top, gradually forming a large tomb. The locals believed the grave was very sacred; when they lost their cattle or encountered misfortune, they would come to pray there and found their prayers answered.

According to Mrs. Thach, in the 1990s, this village had many groups of people working in lime production. Mr. Bui Van A, a villager, also built a lime kiln, but both of his first two attempts resulted in undercooked lime. Mr. A went to the ancestral tomb to pray for the next batch of lime to be ready so he could use it to build the tomb. Sure enough, the third batch of lime was ready as he wished. Mr. A then called his children and grandchildren to build a wall around the tomb. After that, Mr. A continued to call on people from all over to contribute to building the tomb for the ancestor.

Entrance to Co Temple.

After three construction phases, funded by donations from the local people, the Co Co Temple was completed in 2005. The tomb is paved with red bricks, high and clean. At the very top is a statue depicting the portrait of Co Co, modeled after elderly people. Below, the floor is paved with decorative tiles, and a large mat is placed on top for people to offer incense and pray. With an area of ​​500 square meters, the Co Co Temple has a spacious and tranquil atmosphere.

Hearing of the sacredness of the Co Temple, people from all over come to offer incense, pray for peace and prosperity. Some also come out of sympathy for the unfortunate man who died of hunger and cold, without anyone to worship him. Every 15th and 1st day of the lunar month, hundreds of people from all over, including Quynh Luu, Hoang Mai, Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, and Vinh City, come to light incense. In early 2016, some people contributed money to cast a bronze statue for him.

Visitors from all over often come to Co Temple to light incense and offer prayers.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong from Dien My commune shared: “On the 15th and 1st of each lunar month, I often come to Co Temple to light incense and pray for peace for my family. Whether the temple is sacred or not depends on each person's spiritual beliefs, but every time I come here, I feel my heart is calm and peaceful. Many people come to the temple not only to light incense but also out of curiosity as to why a poor, humble old farmer is honored with such a magnificent shrine.”

Currently, Block 9 of Cau Giap Town has established a committee to look after the Co Temple, with members responsible for protecting, cleaning, and offering incense.

Thai Orchid