The Irumbai Legend
I recently completed a long cherised dream. Today, I can claim to have set foot on all geographic corners of India. Delhi in the North, Mumbai in the West, Kolkata in the East, Chennai in the South and Nagpur in the Centre. Interestingly, it took a staggering 20 years to achieve this seemingly easy objective. Nagpur was first off the block, when I was a toddler. Next was Kolkata when I was in 7th standard. Mumbai followed in my engineering 2nd year. I conquered Delhi when I was 22. Finally, Chennai happened just a few days back!
To celebrate this achievement, I thought of sharing one very interesting legend that I came across while on a visit to Auroville at Pondicherry. Its called the Irumbai Legend.
The people who live in the villages around Auroville have shown warmth and hospitality in welcoming people of different races, cultures and countries to their area. The ancient legend of Kaduveli Siddha, a famous yogi, can perhaps explain partly why the villagers have shown such grace.
The story of Kaduveli Siddha begins some 500 years ago in Irumbai, a small village on the edge of Auroville. According to the legend, the yogi was performing harsh penance sitting under a peepal tree. The heat of his body was so intense that the rain gods suffered and the villagers were exposed to hardships and drought, yet nobody dared disturb him. Thus sitting undisturbed, an anthill began to form around him. Valli, the temple dancer and devotee of Lord Shiva, decided to do her best to rescue the local King and his people from the adverse effects of the yogi's penance. Observing that Siddha would put out his hands to catch and consume the falling peepal leaves, she prepared some thinly fired food which she started placing in his hands. Soon he began eating and slowly grew fatter until finally the anthill broke and he was once more exposed to the rays of the sun. The god of rain was relieved from the torture he felt from the heat of the yogi's penance and the rain fell in plenty. The people were happy once again
In order to celebrate this event, the King ordered a large Puja to be held at Irumbai's temple. The Puja was followed by a classical performance in which Valli would act out the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva. During her performance, however, one of her anklets fell off causing her to lose her balance and rhythm. Kaduvelli Siddha, who saw Lord Shiva in Valli, picked up the anklet and put it back on her feet. This act exposed him to the ridicule of the King and the court for having touched the feet of a dancing girl and he was heckled. Furious, he invoked Lord Shiva to come out of his temple and prove his righteousness by causing a rain of stone. Immediately, the lingam in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum exploded, and wherever its fragments fell became desert. The King, frightened, begged the pardon of the yogi and pleaded with him to end the curse. This appeased Kaduvelli Siddha, who said that what was done could not be undone, but that in the future, people from far off lands would come and make the desert land green and fertile again.
Today there are villagers who feel that the Aurovilians are the people from far-off lands mentioned by the yogi and the curse is now being lifted.
To celebrate this achievement, I thought of sharing one very interesting legend that I came across while on a visit to Auroville at Pondicherry. Its called the Irumbai Legend.
The people who live in the villages around Auroville have shown warmth and hospitality in welcoming people of different races, cultures and countries to their area. The ancient legend of Kaduveli Siddha, a famous yogi, can perhaps explain partly why the villagers have shown such grace.
The story of Kaduveli Siddha begins some 500 years ago in Irumbai, a small village on the edge of Auroville. According to the legend, the yogi was performing harsh penance sitting under a peepal tree. The heat of his body was so intense that the rain gods suffered and the villagers were exposed to hardships and drought, yet nobody dared disturb him. Thus sitting undisturbed, an anthill began to form around him. Valli, the temple dancer and devotee of Lord Shiva, decided to do her best to rescue the local King and his people from the adverse effects of the yogi's penance. Observing that Siddha would put out his hands to catch and consume the falling peepal leaves, she prepared some thinly fired food which she started placing in his hands. Soon he began eating and slowly grew fatter until finally the anthill broke and he was once more exposed to the rays of the sun. The god of rain was relieved from the torture he felt from the heat of the yogi's penance and the rain fell in plenty. The people were happy once again
In order to celebrate this event, the King ordered a large Puja to be held at Irumbai's temple. The Puja was followed by a classical performance in which Valli would act out the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva. During her performance, however, one of her anklets fell off causing her to lose her balance and rhythm. Kaduvelli Siddha, who saw Lord Shiva in Valli, picked up the anklet and put it back on her feet. This act exposed him to the ridicule of the King and the court for having touched the feet of a dancing girl and he was heckled. Furious, he invoked Lord Shiva to come out of his temple and prove his righteousness by causing a rain of stone. Immediately, the lingam in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum exploded, and wherever its fragments fell became desert. The King, frightened, begged the pardon of the yogi and pleaded with him to end the curse. This appeased Kaduvelli Siddha, who said that what was done could not be undone, but that in the future, people from far off lands would come and make the desert land green and fertile again.
Today there are villagers who feel that the Aurovilians are the people from far-off lands mentioned by the yogi and the curse is now being lifted.
6 comments
Interesting legend!
I have only stepped foot on the soil of Delhi and Mumbai...hopefully sometimes soon I can also go visit Chennai and Kolkata and Nagpur!
Really interesting myth!Living in different cities is great experience in itself...makes ones outlook more cosmopolitan than thoese rooted in same place for ages.
That's such a typical "Amar Chitra Katha" type of story -- did you read one of those as a kid?
I have never been in any of the Eastern cities....never been to Kolkata, or even Darjeeling. Congratulations....seeing all corners of India is no small feat!!!
Dying to see pics of Pondicherry! How was it? Did you like it? Did you go to Auroville?
@ Jas B (you still have that B in your bonnet)- Among the three you havent blessed with your feet, I would recommend Kolkata at as priority 1
@ Fighter Jet - Yes, my goal is to set foot on all states and union territories of India before I even claim to understand it. Long long haul really.. but worth a life as far as me goes.
@ Radha - Yep I sure did... and the Tinkles, Targets, Chacha Chaudharies as well.
All your questions have been answered. Pls check link that I have sent to your yahoo account.
The legend is as radha said so frim one of those childhood books we read and narrated from :)
& yayyyyy for a dream accomplished....:) I never had such a dream, maybe coz I did not realize that I had stepped in all corners even without trying to do it.....as kids we went to Kashmir for vacations, have two of my "mausis" in Mumbai so we would visit them sometimes in summer vacations, I studied in southern India and took my parents to Kanyakumari when I got my first job....got married (partly) in Calcutta....would Bhopal count as center??? then I have covered center too :) Yayyyyy!!! haha!
My dream is to visit the far-flung corners of our country....Andamans, Lakshdweep,north-east, Kutch etc....hopefully some day!!! sigh!
@ Moi The Not So Great - shabash. you are many a steps ahead of me. I have not yet been to Kashmir or Kanyakumari. And I would love to visit the far flung areas too. Very specifically, I have a objective target of setting foot on each state and union territory of India.
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