An Ordeal with a Purpose

The Story of Thondaradippodi Aazhvaar

- LAKSHMI DEVNATH

Poorva felt the floor under her move at great speed. Startled, she sat up, only to realise that she was going to crash into a huge wall ahead of her! Luckily, she didn’t, for the floor was now vertical. In the process, however, Poorva was thrown several feet into the air. Her hands groped wildly and grasped at something rough and hard. She found herself dangling precariously from a ledge on a mountain top. As she looked below, the tremendous depths terrified her. Her face paled, and in sheer fright, her grip loosened.

Poorva hurtled down and landed on a raft that seemed to be waiting for her. The next moment, she was dashing down a river at breakneck speed. As she held on for dear life, the raft crashed into a pile of boulders. Poorva found herself jerked upward and thrown high into the air, and then she landed right in the middle of a garden. For a few minutes, she lay still. When nothing further happened, she slowly stood up. Brushing the stray strands of hair off her face, she rubbed her eyes and gingerly stamped on the ground. It stayed still and she heaved a sigh of relief. Looking down, she remarked, “Didn’t think that something as firm and solid as you could behave so irresponsibly!”

The last thing that Poorva remembered was watching the marriage of Aandal and Ranganatha at the Srirangam temple. And then this bizarre experience! Slowly, her eyes took in the new surroundings. “I must say, this garden looks beautiful,” she remarked. For a brief moment, she wondered whether she was back in Periaazhvaar’s garden. Straightaway, she brushed aside the thought – the whole scene looked very different.