The boulder of love

There is an interesting story about the SphatikShila - the famous 'Crystal Rock' in Chitrakoot. The SphatikShila is an ancient flat boulder where Lord Ram is believed to have rested on. Lord Ram and his wife, Sita, would rest on this boulder and admire the scenic beauty of the surroundings. 

According to the Ramayana, one day, a tired Lord Ram was sleeping in the lap of Sita. Suddenly, a crow attacked Sita. With two pecks on her feet, Sita experiences agonising pain. The discomfort and ordeal awoke Lord Ram. He instantly recognised the crow as the son of Indra. Infuriated and enraged, Lord Ram unleashed the divine weapon, Brahmastra, on the bird. Flying for dear life, the crow fled across the universe to Indra. But the weapon refused to lose trail. Indra turned the crow away. Remorseful and helpless, the crow returned back to Lord Ram and pleaded for refuge. He begged for forgiveness, but Lord Ram revealed that the Brahmastra cannot be withdrawn. So the crow asked for it to hit its right eye, and hence, was left half-blind. This tale beautifully depicts the love shared between Lord Ram and Sita. After this incident, Lord Ram took good care of Sita. The place is fondly revered by devotees as a place of tranquillity and natural beauty. The boulder even contains footprints of Lord Ram, Sita and Lord Lakshman.