Handicapped Murugan
The whole villagers wondered that how that handicapped Murugan had managed the temple tank from troublesome children of the small ,remote village .Koilkannappur was a small village in the Cauvery delta region.In that village ,there was a big Siva temple and a huge tank nearby the temple.The temple tank had both in and out lets.Usually the tank was filled during the month of June by the south west monsoon rain.The seasonal monsoon rain had brought more rainfall in Tamilnadu and made heavy flood in the Cauvery river.The non -perennial river filled all the tanks and lakes in the Cauvery delta region.Most of the tanks had more water for twelve months and they dried only during the month of May.The tank was surrounded by fig ,screw pine,mahua and neem trees.It was believed that the water was as equal to the holy Ganga river water.Early morning was the best time to take bath.The big tank was covered with the flowers of fig, screw pine,mahua and neem trees.The water was very cool, tasty and fragrance.The children of the village had taken bath in the temple tank , they jumped into the water and made the tank more polluted.They brought the banana trees to the tank and with that trees they swam in the tank from one side to other.After they left the tank ,the tank was covered with banana peels.The temple authorities were disturbed by the act of the children.And they very much worried about the the bad condition of the temple tank .So they nominated the handicapped Murugan as the guard of the temple tank.Murugan's right leg was wounded and he had a bamboo stick as a support for the right leg to walk.He had green turban with well physique and thundering voice.The village committee had informed the people and the children of the village that Murugan was nominated as the tank's guard by a traditional method of public announcement using a drummer.Though Murugan was a handicapped,he walked all the four sides of the tank quickly and controlled the children by his thundering voice.The children of the village were very much afraid about the handicapped Murugan and took bath silently in all the days including Saturday and Sunday.Sometime the children left their dresses on the bank of the tank and they shouted and jumped while they were taking bath.At that time Murugan silently came to the spot and took away their dress which were on the bank of the tank.That act of Murugan controlled the atrocities of the children for some extent.The temple authorities were very much satisfied for nominating Murugan as the guard of the temple's tank.Murugan always stood under the shade of the peepal tree which was on the northern bank of the tank.He never slept during the days.He used betal leaves , areca nuts and lime and spitted around his place.The freedom of taking bath of the children of the village was controlled by Murugan for three years consequently.The depth of the temple tank was nearly eight to ten feets.So the children took bath near the bank of the tank only.During the month of December,snowy falling was very heavy in the village.The banks of the temple tank was made of clay and they were slippery.One fine morning , handicapped Murugan slipped from the bank and fell into the temple tank.He sank into the deep water.His green turban floated on the water.The news was spread to the whole village.The village people and children stood on the bank and witnessed the sad incident.The temple authorities arranged five skillful swimmers to find out the body of Murugan.After a strenuous battle of three hours ,his body was taken out from the mud which was very near to the outlet of the temple tank.The very next day the children of the village shouted,played and jumped into the water and took bath.There was no Murugan to guard the tank and curtailed the freedom of children for taking bath in the temple tank.The temple authorities tried to solve the problem again.
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