TIME FOR HOLY DIP, PRAYERS AND FESTIVITIES
Part - 1
Cauvery has its origin in the Sahyadri hills and flows through the plains of the deccan to reach the Bay of Bengal in the ancient city of Puhar in Tamil Nadu. Like the Ganga, Cauvery is also considered to be a very auspicious river and has many similarities with the mighty river of the north. Ganges descended from the heavens in response to the prayers of King Bageeratha to redeem his ancestors. She came down with all her might and force and her pride was humbled by Lord Shiva when He locked her up in His matted locks and released her to flow again in answer to Bageeratha’s prayers. She did try once more to go out of bounds when she circled the ashram of Jahnnu maharishi intending to sweep the ashram away by her force. The great sage just took her in the palm of his hands and sipped all her waters. Again to help Bageeratha, Jahnnu maharishi allowed Ganga to flow out of his ears thereby earning her the name of Jahnnavi.
A similar incident also is reported in the story of Cauvery who in her exuberance disturbed the penance of the great sage Agasthyar. The sage who was born in a pot and is called Kumba Sambhava put all of Cauvery’s waters in his water pot (kamandalu) and resumed his penance. With her pride humbled, Cauvery prayed to Lord Ganapathi who assuming the form of a crow overturned the pot and allowed the waters to flow on.
All along the path of both Ganga and Cauvery are situated many temples of fame and the rivers are associated with the presiding deities of these temples in some form or other. Ganga devi encircles the holy city of Varanasi like a garland offered to Lord Vishvanatha while Cauvery weaves a garland around Lord Ranganatha in Sri Rangam. Shiva and Vishnu represent two aspects of the Supreme and the sisters Ganga and Cauvery offer their tributes to them by going around the holy cities of Varanasi and Srirangam. Worshipping forefathers by offering pinda in holy places along the path of the Ganga is considered to bring material and spiritual prosperity to the lineage of the worshipper and the same is true if offered on the banks of the river Cauvery.
The holiest of all holy rivers, Ganga once felt despondent that she is defiled by all who wash their sins in her holy waters and wanted to purify herself. She approached Lord Brahma who prescribed a very simple solution. Brahmadev asked Ganga to go and merge with her sister Cauvery during the holy month of Tulam when all the gods and goddesses come and have a holy dip in her waters and that would make her fresh and pure as always. So Ganga is present in the waters of Cauvery all through the month of Tulam and gets rejuvenated and also rejuvenates all those who take a dip in Cauvery. If only this confluence of the two mighty rivers Ganga Cauvery had happened on the physical plane, it would have in one stroke, solved the problems of floods in the north and the dry run of the southern rivers.
The practice of taking bath in holy rivers is prevalent even in the north during this time. The month of Krithiga is considered auspicious for taking bath in rivers. According to the lunar calendar, the month of Krithiga begins on the day following deepavali. Devotees carry the holy waters from the rivers in pots to the temples and perform abishekam to Lord Shiva. They even walk many miles and cover long distances to reach the temples. They carry the water in pots hung from a stick which they carry across their shoulders like Kavadi. The Shat puja performed by the Biharis also falls during the sixth day of the full moon. During this puja devotees assemble on the banks of sacred rivers and ponds and after taking ceremonial bath offer puja to the Sun god.
It is believed that the Tula snanam should be done in the Brahma Muhoortham, that is during the period preceding dawn, roughly about 4-30 to 5-00 AM. Normally, whenever one takes a bath in a sacred river a proper sankalpam is recited before touching the waters. However, during the month of Tulam, even if one takes a dip without a proper sankalpam, it would earn him/her all the material and spiritual gifts that one can aspire for and ultimately the person goes to the heavens. There is a story of a person lame in both legs who aspired to take bath during the Tulam month in the holy river of Cauvery at least once before his life ebbed out. He set out on the arduous journey by drawing his body, using his hands as feet on the first day of the month, but could reach the banks of the holy river at Mayuram (Mayil Adu Thurai) only on the day after the month had ended. He managed to take the dip, but those who had assembled on the banks of the river informed him that the Tula snanam period was over the previous day itself. Quite disappointed, the poor man wanted to end his life as he thought he might not get another chance in his life to perform this austerity. The Lord Mayura Nathar came and gave darshan to the forlorn man and blessed him that the day on which he had taken the bath would also be considered as auspicious and gave him mukthi. This day is called mudavan muzhukku, the holy dip of the lame person.
OM TAT SAT
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