Kandy kali

Brother Saktheeswar had visited our home said Arivan. Bring him here said Ayyan. After a few minutes Arivan came along with Saktheeswar. Ayyan asked Saktheeswar "Have you finished your work"? Saktheeswar replied that he had finished his work. Ayyan said that he had received a news that the Singhalese might have attacked the kali temple in the Northern Mannar at the second week of Purattasi, the Tamil month. Saktheeswar said that the boat was built and it was ready for sailing. Ayyan asked Saktheeswar where the boat was? Saktheeswar replied that the boat was hidden in the forest of Thalai Mannar .Ayyan asked his brother Arivan that he would bring the Kandy kali statue from the temple of Northern Mannar before the month of Purratasi. Arivan had promised his brother that he would bring the statue at the end of Avani before the month of Purratasi.                   

  Ayyan asked Saktheeswar not to waste the time and arrange for the voyage. Saktheeswar, the carpenter replied that they must start the voyage only during the month of Purratasi. He also said that that year the South West Monsoon would start some what earlier than the last year.He said that Purattasi sixth was the New Moon Day. On that day they would start their voyage and it was safety for them also.Ayyan asked his wife Rutvi to bring buttermilk for Saktheeswar.Rutvi had brought buttermilk for them. Ayyan said that Rutvi was pregnant and she would give birth during the month of Purratasi too.               

Saktheeswar consoled Ayyan and further said that they would reach Dhanushkodi, Rameshwaram on the seventh of Purattasi in the early morning safely.     

Last day of the month of Avani, Ayyan walked here and there in his home. He had waited for Arivan who went out the home for three days ago to bring the kali statue. At the end of that day Arivan appeared along with his companions. He brought a jute bag on his shoulder. He signalled his brother Ayyan that he had brought the statue.Ayyan hugged Arivan.Arivan said to his brother that they would not waste their time further.He also said that the priest of the temple would open the temple on the next day and he would inform the police that the kali statue had stolen from the temple.He added that the police might have searched the criminal who had stolen the statue.Ayyan understood the problem and he asked his wife Rutvi to take jewels, money and food for their night voyage.Thalai Mannar was just eighteen kilometres away from their home.If they had travelled on a bullock cart they would have reached Thalai Mannar in the morning.So they decided to start their journey on the same day night secretly.Arivan asked his brother Ayyan that he would bring a maid servant to assist his sister-in-law who was pregnant.But Ayyan vehemently rejected his suggestion.Furthermore Ayyan said that the voyage was a do or die problem for us.He added that they would sacrifice their lives for the sake of their goddess,but a third person would not be affected.Soon Arivan had kept quiet.    

At midnight they started their journey.Ayyan asked Arivan about the bullock cart man.Arivan replied that the the bullock cart man was a duff and dumb.Then Ayyan told his brother to direct the bullock cart man to go into the forest way.He also indicated the bullock cart man to remove the bells of the bullocks.Rutvi was helped to sit inside the cart by Ayyan.Arivan kept the jute bag carefully in the cart which contained the kali statue.They also took three cloth bags, food , money, jewels and other essential things.Ayyan and Arivan had looked their home at last.Tears rolled from their eyes.The bullock cart moved and the brothers followed it silently.The cart went into the forest very slowly like a snail.They heard only the sounds of frogs,wall cocks and owls.The Lankan forest was very dark and dense and it was very hard for them to find out the way.After a strenuous five hours battle,they reached the island of Thalai Mannar.                    

Saktheeswar waited for them at the entrance of the forest of Thalai Mannar.He said that they would start their voyage only at the midnight of the next day.Arivan gave some money to the bullock cart man and asked him to return immediately.soon the bullock cart disappeared in the dark . Saktheeswar directed them towards the hidden boat.At dawn they reached the hidden boat. Saktheeswar told Ayyan not to worry about their safety.He also said that it was a secret place and the Singhalese navy couldn't find them.He also advised them not to come out of the boat until midnight.They decided to sit in the boat through out the day .Saktheeswar was very busy in making some cloth torches for their night voyage.It was very difficult for them to spend the whole night in the boat.Rutvi was very tired and she slept on the laps of Ayyan.Both the brothers were thinking about their future and successors.The boat was very silent.The place was very safe for them too.There was no human sign in that place.They heard only the sounds of the birds and wild animals.The Thalai Mannar forest was very dark when the night was approaching.               

Saktheeswar, Ayyan and Arivan were waiting for the right time for sailing the boat. Saktheeswar said that they would start their voyage at midnight.They decided not to sleep till midnight. Saktheeswar observed the darkest sky.Soon he saw the polestar in the sky and then he said that it was the correct time to start their voyage.They heard the sound made by the waves only.The monsoon wind was blowing fiercely and the boat moved very fast.They couldn't bear the cold weather. Saktheeswar told them to cover their bodies with blankets.Rutvi was unable to sit in the boat. Saktheeswar tried his level best to sail the boat smoothly.But the seasonal wind and tidal waves were very harsh to sail the boat steadily.Except Saktheeswar, the others were not familiar in traveling in a boat at the darkest night.     Throughout the night the boat sailed on the rough sea, the Bay of Bengal.All the four people were sitting in the boat silently.When the boat was nearing Dhanushkodi,Rutvi had delivery pain.She couldn't bear the pain and she cried bitterly.Ayyan asked her to be very quiet.But she couldn't control her labour pain.Ayyan and Arian worshiped the goddess Kali. Suddenly Saktheeswar showed the direction and said that they were reached Dhanushkodi.They had seen the lamp house at some distance.At the same time Rutvi had given birth to her first female baby.She was named as Dhanushkodi.After a few minutes another female baby was born.She was named as Sooli by Ayyan and Rutvi.Before dawn they arrived Dhanushkodi safely.              

 Ayyan asked his brother Arivan to bring a bullock cart immediately.After sometimes, Arivan came there with a bullock cart.Their main idea was to take shelter for some hours in a mutt and then they decided to move further towards the north east of Rameshwaram.Saktheeswar led them to the Rameshwaram temple mutt and they occupied a hall in the mutt.Ayyan helped Rutvi to take rest because she was sleepless throughout the day before night.Saktheeswar was very familiar with the places in South Tamilnadu.He said that they must go towards Navaipattinam,a costal town that night.He also said that it was very safe for them also .                     

Then they decided to go towards Navaipattinam.Saktheeswar and Arivan went out side to search a bullock cart.No bullock cart man was willing to travel for a long distance through the coastal villages.At last,a bullock cart man accepted their demand.But he demanded more money. Saktheeswar that there was no other way to accept the bullock cart man's demand.Finally they accepted the demand of the bullock cart man.Then they returned to the mutt in the bullock cart.They spent the whole day in the mutt.At midnight they came out of the mutt and started their journey towards Navaipattinam through the coastal villages.Rutvi was very weak and she was supported by Ayyan to sit in the cart comfortably.The cart went very slowly through the coastal villages. They travelled day and night for more than a week and atlast they reached Thirumaraikadu,a coastal Village.Without any problem they reached Thirumaraikadu with the kali statue.Then they decided to stay at the Vedaranyeswarar temple in the night.   The priest of the temple allowed them to stay in the temple after seeing the politeness of the two brothers.That night Ayyan and Rutvi had a similar dream. In that dream they had seen the goddess kali and she ordered them to go towards Navaipattinam.She also said that she would like to rule a place called Vallam. As per the order of kali, they decided to go to Vallam,a small village near Eight huts, now the village is known as Ettukudi. They thanked the temple priest of Thirumaraikadu and started their journey towards Vallam in a new bullock cart.The next morning at four o'clock they arrived Vallam,a small village. The village was very beautiful and it had a small tank,a few huts and a lot of palm trees. Ayyan asked Saktheeswar and Arivan to build a small palm hut for their goddess. Arivan and Saktheeswar joined together and built a small palm hut within four hours.Then they installed the Kandy kali statue on a podium. They worshiped their home God after a long time with wholeheartedly. All the people were planned to stay in the temple for two or three days. They thought that their entire problems were solved. Rutvi and Saktheeswar cooked for them. Ayyan and Arivan cared the twin daughters and spent the whole day joyfully and peacefully.                          

All of them slept in the temple before the goddess. That night, Ayyan and Rutvi had awakened from sleep suddenly. Both of them had the similar dream. In that dream, the goddess appeared and ordered them to go towards western direction and settled at Mutthar Cholapuram. They shared their dream to other members. Saktheeswar had decided to stay in Vallam ,near the kali temple. He promised Aryan that he would look after the temple very well. Aryan and Arivan had planned to go to Mutthar Cholapuram along with their twin daughters soon. They moved towards a new destination..........