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Sri Ranganthaswami Temple in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ranganatha a resting form of Lord Vishnu. This temple, also called Talpagiri Ranganathaswami temple or Ranganayakulu is one of the oldest temples in Nellore. It is located on the banks of the Penna River and is believed to have been constructed in the 12th century. Just before the main entrance of the temple is a huge tower, called Gaaligopuram, which literally means "wind tower". This tower is approximately 70 feet high and has 10 feet of gold plated vessels on top of it, called kalisams. Every year during the month of March–April (which varies according to the Indian calendar) a grand festival is celebrated. This is called Brahmotsavam.
...Posted by Ishani
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Sri Ranganthaswami Temple in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ranganatha a resting form of Lord Vishnu. This temple, also called Talpagiri Ranganathaswami temple or Ranganayakulu is one of the oldest temples in Nellore. It is located on the banks of the Penna River and is believed to have been constructed in the 12th century. Just before the main entrance of the temple is a huge tower, called Gaaligopuram, which literally means "wind tower". This tower is approximately 70 feet high and has 10 feet of gold plated vessels on top of it, called kalisams. Every year during the month of March–April (which varies according to the Indian calendar) a grand festival is celebrated. This is called Brahmotsavam.
Down the temple street of Nellore, reaching the Pennar river, there was a tailor-shop owned by Abdul Karim. Karim was frugal in his habits and used to lunch on just four bananas every noon.
Abdul Karim was a poor and pious man, generous to a fault. His heart was soft as Amul butter. He could never refuse a favor sought by any needy person, if he could help them.
Raja Manuma Siddhi once gifted a lovely elephant called Hastini, along with her mahout, to the famous Ranganatha Swami temple (see above pic). Every noon the mahout used to walk Hastini down the temple street to the river where she enjoyed her bath immensely.
It is the habit of all elephants to turn their trunks this side and that every second...their trunks are as restless as the minds of some full-time bloggers.
The very first day Hastini on her walk to the river poked her trunk inside Karim's shop when Karim was eating his bananas. And Karim was so charmed by her that he placed one banana in her trunk and Hastini retracted it and gulped it with immense delight and walked on.
Then on this became a ritual for Karim and Hastini and it made both of them as happy as a blogger who got a rare nice comment on one of his posts.
One morning, after a year, Karim's only child fell ill. And ran a high fever. Karim took him to the doctor who demanded Rs 10 before he saw the patient. Karim's savings happened to be just Rs 10 then and he gave them away to the doctor. The doctor prescribed medicines and an injection. Karim took the prescription to the nearby medical shop and the pharmacist told him that the medicines would cost all of Rs 5.
Karim had no money left and pleaded with the pharmacist to give him the medicines on loan which he said he would repay by evening. The pharmacist declined and Karim returned home sad. And narrated the incident to his wife who scolded him:
"Karim! You are a big fool! You have spent all your earnings on your old parents, your sisters, their husbands and their kids. And you could never refuse help to anyone who approached you with sad and fake tales. Now, you see, what a mess we are in!"
Karim asked her not to worry...there are half a dozen of his customers who owe him Rs 20 in all and that he would collect the money and buy the medicines for their kid.
And Karim approached his debtors one by one. All of them refused their payments on one pretext or the other saying they would repay him tomorrow surely...
Karim was saddened and opened the shutters of his shop dejected. He had no money to buy even his bananas.
And he was squatting on the shop-floor and sewing buttons on a coat.
Then Hastini approached his shop and stood by and poked her trunk in expecting the usual banana. And Karim was saddened beyond grief that he couldn't abide by his fond ritual.
And continued his sewing.
Hastini poked her nose in again and again and, in one of her attempts, the sewing needle of Kaim happened to hurt her trunk.
Hastini sulked and continued her walk to her bathing river. And after bathing heartily and churning up all the mud in the process, filled her trunk with the dirtied river water and started walking back to the temple.
And she stood by Karim's shop and spewed all the mud-water collected and hidden in her trunk on Karim and his clothes and every object on the floor.
And walked away triumphantly...rejoicing in her vengeful accomplishment.
Karim was an uncommon man...Hastini a commonplace woman.
This tweaked tale was taught us in our Moral Science Class in Muthukur...the teacher was a well-know misogynist (woman-hater)...
...Posted by Ishani
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