After driving through the thick forest for hours in the tiny village of Loliem at Canacona South Goa, we finally managed to locate the Betal shrine. The very first sight of Betal was unsettling to say the least. There was no shrine* but a towering black basalt stone idol of Betal, stark naked with his piercing gaze stood amidst thick green foliage of the rainforest. The smell of freshly soaked earth in first monsoon showers combined with the pregnant silence made the setting poignant. We were awestruck by the beauty and grace of the solitary god who stood mutely watching over his territory.