THOUSANDS TAKE HOLY DIP AT TALACAUVERY;

Madikeri October 18, 2007

Thousands of pilgrims took a holy dip at Talacauvery today on the occasion of the Teertodbava.

Emotions mounted as people began to shout’ jai Kavaramme’, ‘Govinda, Govinda’and rushed towards the small ‘Kundike” where holy Cauvery could be seen sprouting up and going down with intervals, majestically. Teertodbava took place exactly at the given time, 8.20 a.m in the morning.

Praising of Goddess Cauvery and Iguthappa, the local deities rented the sky as teertodbava took place. Pilgrims took bath in the holy pond and bent their heads for the Teerta from the Kundike to be sprinkled over their heads. Men and women, children and old people dared the whether and were waiting for their turn to get Teerta. Police had a tough time controlling the crowd surging towards ‘ kundike’. Deputy Commissioner Niranjan and Superintendent of police Trilokchandra,M.L.A’s K.G.Bopaiah and H.D.Basavaraju were also present during the occasion.

Pilgrims have arrived from Karnataka, Kerala, Chennai and other places. Voluntary organizations like Kodagu Ekikarana Ranga, Vishwa Hindu parishadh, Alagappan Chettiar trust, Mandya mass feedingorgonisation, Kodava Samaj, Virajpet distributed free food to the pilgrims.

Rotary Misty Hills Madikeri distributed free drinking water.

This is the first festival after the Karnataka Cauvery development authority renovated the pilgrimage centre. The cauvery emerged in the holy Kundike exactly at 8.29 A.M .today during the Thula Cauvery sankaramana Muhurtham. As per the traditional belief, the raising water should not overflow from the Kundike, which is a bad sign for the country. So, Archaks will continuously fill the teertha in the vessels and pour on the devotees during that Muhurtham

Photos;

HOLY KUNDIKE

DEVOTEES RUSHING FOR TEERTHA

ELEPHANT TRAMPLES ESTATE LABOURER;

An elephant trampled to death an estate worker, while another escaped death.

The incident was reported from Chennagi near Pollibetta.

Jenukurubara Ramu, 55 was returning from a temple with his friend Thammaiah on the evening of 16th. A tusker charged at the duo from nowhere and attacked them. While Thammaiah managed to run away with bruises all over his body, Ramu was caught by the pachyderm. It lifted him with its trunk and threw him in the air. Once on the ground, ramu was trampled by the elephant which left him with his last breath.

Thammaiah rushed to the village and brought people to the spot. However he died on the way to the hospital. He leaves wife and four children.

MLAs K.G.Bopaiah and H.D.basavaraju rushed to the spot. Gram Panchayath president Venukumar and others brifef the MLAs about the unabated elephant menace which is making their life miserable. The representatives stated that they will try to lend assistance to the family of the deceased. They also urged the forest department to plant food crops and fruit yielding trees inside the forests since they enter vuillages, looking for food and water.