Wednesday 16 December 2009

From Freedom to Bondage - Under the Tree


On the way from my home to the work station, lies a peepul tree and beneath it was a pillaiyar statue.

The area around was cemented and it was regularly cleaned and washed by the street women.

He was devotedly bathed and anointed with sandal and turmeric paste or sacred ash.( vibhudhi)

and was garlanded and made fragrant with the flowers of the season,by the local children.

The local primary school was near by , hence the children used to come and have their lunch,

offer their food as prasadams to the pillayar and to the birds that flocked around,

in the evenings oil lamps used to be lit and on some full moon nights lamp poojas used to be conducted.

Such was the time,when one morning the local folk noticed pillaiyar's arm was mutilated,some one had tried to kidnap this diety away to their temple,and during the process had broken the arm of the statue,and seeing the mess ran away in the middle of the night.

The elders were called and they decided to replace the diety and so a new one was ordered.

An auspicious day was fixed and with the chanting of mantras the new pillaiyar was installed.

Now cautious folks wanted no more stealing away of their pillaiyar,so a grill was decided and it was installed all around.

The new pillaiyar is under lock and key and behind grills, for his own good, and cool under the shaded tree.


No comments: