Priya Venkat Javalge is now six-and-half years old and a living example of God's miracle. Trapped under debris in Mangrul village, a short distance from Killari, she was discovered by an army jawan on October 5. A full five days after the earthquake, she was alive. To the disbelief of everyone around.

She became an instant celebrity, with foreign television crews focussing on the little one, the only silver lining in the tragedy all around. Her father, Venkat Javalge, a farmer, who has been rehabilitated in a concrete home, still shudders when he recalls that ``a French NGO worker approached me, when they heard about this miracle, and tempted me with Rs 11 lakh in exchange for adopting Priya. How could I give my own child away tosomeone else? We may not have money but we have a lot of self-respect. I refused. In fact, some of them had also offered to shift my entire family to a foreign country but we did not agree.''

Nevertheless, Priya who was the centre of world's attention received Rs 15,000 from an individual in Canada for ``her milk and biscuits'' and Rs 50,000 has been kept in her name by the Government of Maharashtra.

Now a second standard student at the zilla parishad school in Mangrul, Priya continues to arouse interest. ``She still receives letters and gifts from many people every March 24, her birthday,'' says the proud father.

Interestingly, the 21-bedded GM Priya Hospital in Dapegaon of Ausa taluka in Latur, has been named after her.

Thanks to Priya, this rustic family has had its own dose of rubbing shoulders with celebrities and Angrezis. ``Priya was very popular when she was discovered. For days and months after that, people from countries like England, USA and others visited us. Just to see her, out ofsheer curiosity. She became very much a showpiece,'' says Javalge. His wife Ranjana nudges her husband, ``even Sunil Dutt and Sharad Pawar had come.''

Today, Priya is oblivious of her celebrity past and coyly says, ``I want to become a doctor.'' Her father does not agree, telling her ``Say that you want to become a lawyer.'' Priya refuses. Then she breaks into poetry, taught to her at school, Konache ga konache, sundar dole konache (whose oh whose are these beautiful eyes). Quite clearly, her parents have immense hopes on this child of God.

For Ranjana Javalge, Priya's mother, it was the most memorable moment when her husband actually told her that their baby was alive. Recalls, Ranjana, ``I was in the Vivekanand Hospital in Latur, with severe leg injuries. I was sure that Priya was lost to mother earth. But after five days my husband came with the good news that Priya was alive, rescued from the debris by a jawan called Smith Baksh. I thought I was dreaming but when I was told it was true, Iwanted to see her immediately. But both of us were weak - me because of the injuries and Priya because of starvation.''

One of the things that had stumped the police and the army jawans then was Priya's refusal to accept water from anybody around. That was one line of worry for the rescuers. But then a woman turned up and set their minds at rest. ``It was her grandmother, Kashibai. My Priya is an avtar

of a spiritual shakti (strength). She did not drink water from any stranger - only from her granny.''