Ahilya was the wife of sage Gautama. Both lived happily in his ashram spending their days in peace and holy meditation. One day during the sage's absence from the ashram, Indira, filled with unholy desires for the beautiful Ahilya, entered the ashram disguised as Gautama and approached the lady. She was not deceived by the impersonation, but vain of her beauty and proud that it had won her the love of lord of the celestials, she lost her judgement and yielded to his desire.

When the sin had been committed, realising the fierce spiritual energy of her betrayed husband, she warned Indira of his terrible peril and begged him to be gone in the instant. Indira was fleeing in guilty panic, when he bumped into the rishi who was just returning from his ablutions. The sage immediately guessing as to what had happened looked loathfully at Indira.

The sage was very angry and cursed Indira that he would loose his manhood immediately, as a punishment for the sin he had committed. As soon as the rishi spoke these words, Indira became a eunuch.

Then the sage turned to his erring wife and said, "living on air, you shall stay here, unseen by anyone. After a long time, Dasaratha's son will pass this way. When he sets foot in this ashram, you will be freed from the curse. " The sage then left his ashram for Himalayas to engage himself in austerities there.

As years passed by Ahilya remained in the ashram as a stone idol over which vegetation grew up with time. One day Lord Rama, son of King Dashratha accompanies by Lakshman happened to pass by the Ashram. He was on his way to Mithila. When he saw the ashram and its poor condition, he was curious about the place. In order to find out more he stepped into the ashram. And the moment Rama set his foot in the Ashram, the curse was lifted and Ahalya stood before them in all her beauty free from the curse that her husband had inflicted on her.