With sun setting in the West and the dew descending on the coffee land, River Cauvery — the lifeline of Karnataka erupted from the ‘Brahmakundike’ at Talacauvery Kshetra on the foothills of Brahmagiri on the auspicious day of Tula Sankramana, at 6.43 pm.
Devotees gathering at Talacauvery in large numbers from afternoon were eagerly awaiting the moment.
Soon after the ‘teerthodbhava,’, the devotees dived into the pond and collected sacred water in plastic pots and bottles. The team of priests headed by Ramakrishnachar sprinkled the teertha from the Brahmakundike on the devotees.
People of Kodagu, affected by the floods and landslides in August, prayed to River Cauvery to provide relief to the victims and to protect Kodagu from natural calamities.
A devotee said, “River Cauvery had not become furious in the past. But during the recent floods, people in places like Kushalnagar, which is considered to be the safest place in the district, too were marooned”.
Devotees from Mandya, Mysuru, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, witnessed the auspicious event. Special ornamentation was offered to the deity at Brahmakundike.
Special prayers were offered at Bhagandeshwara temple and also at the temples of Ganapathi, Mahavishnu and Subrahmanya.
Devotees took a holy dip and paid tribute to their ancestors through ‘pinda pradana’ ritual at Triveni Sangama. They also offered their hair.
Lighting arrangements were made from Bhagamandala to Talacauvery. Mass meals were offered by Kodagu Ekikarana Ranga. The farmers donated rice, jaggery, sugar and vegetables for the meals. Meals were also offered to devotees at Bhagandeshwara temple.
