Kaveri

Coorg is a small district in Karnataka State. It gets plenty of rainfall. It is rich in forests. There is a small hill called Brahmagiri in Coorg. The river Kaveri starts in that hill as a small pool at a place called Talakaveri.

For some distance after rising, it flows underground. It shows up again lower down on the hill. After passing through some more districts of Karnataka the Kaveri flows through Tamil Nadu and finally falls into the sea. The Kaveri is a holy river. In the month of Tula ie October-November, people from all over the country come to take a dip in the river. Long ago a rishi by name Kavera lived in Brahmagiri. God Brahma gave him a daughter.

As she was brought up by Kavera, she was called Kaveri. Kaveri was a very beautiful girl. One day Rishi Agastya passed through Brahmagiri. He saw Kaveri. He liked her. So he wanted to marry her. He asked Rishi Kavera’s permission to marry his daughter. The rishi gave his consent.Kaveri, however, made one condition. She said to Agastya: “I shall marry you, but you should never leave me alone. If you do, I shall at once turn into a river.” Agastya agreed to the condition. He then married her. The two lived a happy life. One night the Gods sent out Agastya for some work.

He left when Kaveri was asleep. Kaveri happened to wake up only to find that she was alone. So at once she became a river, and went underground. Agastya came back soon. But Kaveri was not there. He realised what had happened. From that day Kaveri has been living as a river. He mourned his loss but could not recover his wife. The people of Coorg worship the river Kaveri as a Goddess. Each house has a picture of it. In that picture, Goddess Kaveri is seen blessing a devotee. In the evening people say their prayers in front of the picture.

IHave you seen a woman of Coorg? She wears her sari in a special way. There is a reason for it. On the day Kaveri became a river, the people of Coorg went to receive her. They met her on the way to the hill.

But the force with which the waters rolled was very fast. The women’s saris began to drag in the current. To keep the saris in place, they tied them in a special way, which is followed even today. Kaveri told -them: "You should wear your saris the same manner from now on. Then you will remember me. I bless you."Kaveri became their family Goddess. They have been wearing their saris in that manner since then.The river Kaveri falls from a height of 300 ft. near Sivasamudram in Karnataka State. They generate electricity with the help the waterfalls.The land in Tanjavoor district in Tamil Nadu grows paddy with waters drawn from Kaveri. Kaveri is the Ganga of South. She too has a Sangam. People have a holy bath in it.(From Culture Course-BVB)