The year is 1024.
After fierce resistance from valiant Hindu warriors, Mahmud of Ghazni emerges victorious, smashes the sacred Sivalinga and burns the beautiful temple - massacring 50,000 Hindus and plundering all the wealth.

After acquiring immense wealth over 20,000,000 dirhams and defeating almost every Hindu warrior in the way - Ghazni did something really illogical.

He did NOT return via the same old route he had invaded - he chose the difficult route via the perilous deserts of Sindh- Why?

The reason - FEAR.

Fear of encountering one of the MOST POWERFUL Hindu Emperors of Bharatavarsha during those times. His name and glory struck anxiety & fear in the heart of Ghazni & his men. Standing with a defeated & exhausted army, Ghazni feared utter defeat from his hands.

Such was the fear within Ghazni that he willingly took the extremely difficult desert route, sacrificing many of his Muslim soldiers. He felt dying by the hands of nature was still a better deal than dying by the hands of a certain "Param Deo".

The Tayaqat-i-Akbari mentions that Sultan Ghazni felt it extremely unadvisable, under all circumstances, to have a direct military conflict with this "Param Deo".

His troops unfortunately for him, couldn't retreat as easily as he had planned they would. They faced extreme difficulties (as stated above) - thousands died due to dehydration. It was clear that Param Deo was extremely powerful; thus Ghazni chose such a hasty retreat over a war.

The obvious question arises - "Who is this Param Deo". According to some, it was Bhima I of the Chalukyas, but he was a novice ruler at that time - having succeeded to the throne only recently years before Ghazni's raid. A page of reasons why Bhima I is NOT Parama Deo"