PATALA GANGA, Talecauvery = Talekaveri, Telecauvery, Thalacauvery, Thalakaveri, Thalakkavery

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The sacred river Kaveri (note 1) is said to take for a certain distance (note 2) a subterranean watercourse (note 3) between Talecauvery (note 4) and Bhagamandala (note 5) on the slopes of Brahmagiri (note 6). There is, however, no cave anywhere around and the geological (note 7) and hydrological situation (note 8) of the area is extremely unfavourable for the development of penetrable river caves. The enigmatic interpretation, however, is a profitable backstory which plays an important role in local folklore and economy by boosting imagination and by attracting pious pilgrims and doubting tourists with money to spend. CULTURAL HISTORY - legend 1: The Kaveri / Cauvery is known to Hindus as the Dakshini Ganga, or Ganges of the South, and is traditionally said to issue secretly from the same source as the holy river Ganges in the Himalaya (note 9) only to proceed hidden —under the title Vriddha Ganga— by way of a fabulous underground tunnel (the 'Patala Ganga') before it rises at it orographic source fully visible even for non-believers. The divine river's detour from the Himalaya via Talecauvery to the Gulf of Bengal involves a deep dive through the Ganges trough in addition to a subsequent and otherwise uncommon uphill flow. SKANDA PURANA: Agastya (Aghastya, Agastyamuni), one of the greatest sages that India has seen, was married to Lopamudra, an aesthetic, pious, and very religious housewife considered as one of the greatest 'pathivrathas', meaning an obedient follower of her sage husband (note 10). The couple were rejoicing the heaven-like abode Brahmagiri when a man, by name Kavera raya, went on a penance to get a boon from the god Brahma. When Brahma appeared, Kavera raya asked to grace his wife with a baby. Lord Brahma blessed him with the boon and thus Lopamudra, wife of Agastya, took her birth as Cauvery, daughter of King Kavera raya. KAVERI MAHATMYA, the Puranic account of Kodagu (ex- Coorg) describes the origin of the river and the country in whch it rises. Kaveri derives her name from the muni Kavera (Kuvera, the Hindu miners' patron saint), to whom she was given as a daughter by Brahma —her original name was Lopamudra, and she was brought up in the palace of the king of Vidarbha (Berar), whose daughter she was reputed to be. In order to bless her father and the world, she resolved to become a river. But the sage Agastyamuni (Aghastya) saw her and asked her to be his wife. To this, she consented on the condition that she should be free to go if he ever left her alone. One day he went to bath in the river Kanake, forgetful of his promise, and Kaveri, left alone, plunged into her holy tank and flowed forth as a beautiful river. The disciples tried to stay her course, on which she went underground. At Bhadangakshetra (also: Bhagandamandala) she reappeared again and flowed on towards Valamburi. Agastya, on his return, dismayed at what had happened, ran after her, begging for forgiveness, and imploring her to return. Loath eiter to change her mind or to grieve Agastya, she divided herself, one half flowing off as a river, the other half staying with the sage (after IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 11: 7-8). CULTURAL HISTORY - legend 2: There is another story regarding the birth of Cauvery. Once Agastya converted his wife to water and stored the water in a jug. He went out of his hermit for attending nature's call. A crow came and finding the jug thought that some food may be there in it and overturned the jug. The water in it thus fell on the ground and flew from there to the valley as a river. By the time Agastya came, everything was over and thus the crow is responsible for giving a river like Cauvery to the people of the land… On every 'thula sankramana day' every year, the spring comes out of the birthplace of Cauvery even today (OurKarnataka.com accessed 2002.06.07).ch it rises. Kaveri derives her name from the muni Kavera (Kuvera, the Hindu miners' patron saint), to whom she was given as a daughter by Brahma —her original name was Lopamudra, and she was brought up in the palace of the king of Vidarbha (Berar), whose daughter she was reputed to be. In order to bless her father and the world, she resolved to become a river. But the sage Agastyamuni (Aghastya) saw her and asked her to be his wife. To this, she consented on the condition that she should be free to go if he ever left her alone. One day he went to bath in the river Kanake, forgetful of his promise, and Kaveri, left alone, plunged into her holy tank and flowed forth as a beautiful river. The disciples tried to stay her course, on which she went underground. At Bhadangakshetra (also: Bhagandamandala) she reappeared again and flowed on towards Valamburi. Agastya, on his return, dismayed at what had happened, ran after her, begging for forgiveness, and imploring her to return. Loath eitch it rises. Kaveri derives her name from the muni Kavera (Kuvera, the Hindu miners' patron saint), to whom she was given as a daughter by Brahma —her original name was Lopamudra, and she was brought up in the palace of the king of Vidarbha (Berar), whose daughter she was reputed to be. In order to bless her father and the world, she resolved to become a river. But the sage Agastyamuni (Aghastya) saw her and asked her to be his wife. To this, she consented on the condition that she should be free to go if he ever left her alone. One day he went to bath in the river Kanake, forgetful of his promise, and Kaveri, left alone, plunged into her holy tank and flowed forth as a beautiful river. The disciples tried to stay her course, on which she went underground. At Bhadangakshetra (also: Bhagandamandala) she reappeared again and flowed on towards Valamburi. Agastya, on his return, dismayed at what had happened, ran after her, begging for forgiveness, and imploring her to return. Loath eitch it rises. Kaveri derives her name from the muni Kavera (Kuvera, the Hindu miners' patron saint), to whom she was given as a daughter by Brahma —her original name was Lopamudra, and she was brought up in the palace of the king of Vidarbha (Berar), whose daughter she was reputed to be. In order to bless her father and the world, she resolved to become a river. But the sage Agastyamuni (Aghastya) saw her and asked her to be his wife. To this, she consented on the condition that she should be free to go if he ever left her alone. One day he went to bath in the river Kanake, forgetful of his promise, and Kaveri, left alone, plunged into her holy tank and flowed forth as a beautiful river. The disciples tried to stay her course, on which she went underground. At Bhadangakshetra (also: Bhagandamandala) she reappeared again and flowed on towards Valamburi. Agastya, on his return, dismayed at what had happened, ran after her, begging for forgiveness, and imploring her to return. Loath eiter to change her mind or to grieve Agastya, she divided herself, one half flowing off as a river, the other half staying with the sage (after IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 11: 7-8). CULTURAL HISTORY - legend 2: There is another story regarding the birth of Cauvery. Once Agastya converted his wife to water and stored the water in a jug. He went out of his hermit for attending nature's call. A crow came and finding the jug thought that some food may be there in it and overturned the jug. The water in it thus fell on the ground and flew from there to the valley as a river. By the time Agastya came, everything was over and thus the crow is responsible for giving a river like Cauvery to the people of the land… On every 'thula sankramana day' every year, the spring comes out of the birthplace of Cauvery even today (OurKarnataka.com accessed 2002.06.07).