Before Milarepa could quote Nanshaad, Ashwatthama chimed in, ‘Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.’ Meeting Om’s eyes, he continued, ‘Bisrakh is situated in what is now Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh and is believed to be the birthplace of King Ravana. The land has ancient temples in abundance. The Swayambhu* Shiva linga, which was worshiped by Ravana and his father Vishravas, was unearthed there over a century ago. It is octagonal in shape. The linga protrudes 2.5 feet above the ground and allegedly extends 8 feet underneath. It is deified in a temple built near a large banyan tree and has a
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