TALACAUVERY—A PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE AND POPULAR DESTINATION FOR LOVERS OF NATURE

Review:KVVenkataramana
In a span of two years, I had visited Talacauvery, the birthplace of river Cauvery twice. Cauvery evokes different feelings for different people. People in Coorg (now called Kodagu) district literally worship river Cauvery as goddess. They consider her the bestower of prosperity, plenty, and peace; others treat her as the symbol of sacrifice quenching the thirst of people, cattle, wild animals, birds, and cultivated crops all along the way from Brahmagiri to the Bay of Bengal. Many temples which lie on her banks as she flows through Karnataka and Tamilnadu have a special significance for devotees, as Cauvery’s waters wash the feet of gods in those temples.
Talacauvery is at the foot of Brahmagiri hills. It is about 44 kms from Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu. The road to Talacauvery passes through zigzag route on either side of which you can see coffee plantations interspersed with pepper and orange crops, paddy fields, banana and cardamom crops. On the way to Talacauvery, we come across another holy place, a small village, called Bhagamandala where Sri Bhagandeshwara temple is situated. According to Skanda Purana, this temple is named after Bhagandamuni who installed a Shivalinga at this site. This is also the place where Agastya Rishi is said to have meditated. The king Dodda Veerarajendra renovated this temple which had been partially damaged in a bitter battle in 1790. On the main door of the temple, ‘V’ in Kannada is found inscribed to indicate that the king Dodda Veerarajendra had renovated it.
Bhagamandala is also known for its famous ‘Triveni Sangam’ which is the confluence of three rivers, Cauvery, Kannike and the imaginary (invisible) Sujyothi. Cauvery is called the ‘Ganga of South’ and is one of the seven holy rivers of India, the others being Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada and Sindhu. A dip in the ‘Triveni Sangam’ completes the Hindu ‘shraddha’ (a ritual performed for the deceased parents) rites for the departed soul. It is a common sight to see people from various southern states coming to Bhagamandala for tonsuring of their heads as a part of ‘shraddha’ ritual and taking a dip in the holy sangam.
From Bhagamandala, the road to Talacauvery passes through steep hills with sharp curves. (Distance from Bhagamandala to Talacauvery is 8 kms.) Along the way, we encounter a spot called ‘viewpoint’ where one could enjoy the breathtaking view of overlapping hills and valleys. This spot is at a height of 3700’ from the mean sea level.

Talacauvery is the place where river Cauvery originates. Here, we see a ‘kundike’ (a perennial water-pot or a tiny pond) which is the source of the river, at the foot of the Brahmagiri hill. Every year, on October 17/18, (on the day of Tula or Kaveri Sankramana) at an auspicious moment, water from this ‘kundike’ gushes forth, and people in lakhs throng this place to witness this event. In front of the ‘kundike’, is a bigger pond where devotees dip their heads in water and move near the ‘kundike’ where a priest pours the sacred water from the ‘kundike’ in a copper tumbler on their heads. Then a puja is performed on behalf of the devotees by the priest to the ‘kundike’ (or Goddess Cauvery).
If we climb a few steps from one corner of the ‘kundike’, we can see two small shrines dedicated to Lord Ganapathi and Lord Agasthyeshwara. To the right of these shrines is Brahmagiri Dwara (Gateway to Brahmagiri hill) which leads to Brahmagiri hill. The peak of Brahmagiri hill (three hundred feet from the source of the river) can be reached by devotees by climbing steep stone steps. According to legend, seven sages had meditated at the peak ages ago.
One can enjoy the panoramic view of the blue hills, clouds and valleys from this peak. Cool, incessant breeze keeps company of the tourists as they savour the beauty of the distant horizon hugged by layers and layers of hills.
Talacauvery is not only a place of pilgrimage but also a popular destination for lovers of nature.
TALACAUVERY—A PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE AND POPULAR DESTINATION FOR LOVERS OF NATURE Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/books/1758890-talacauvery-place-pilgrimage-popular-destination/