Once, there was unusually hot summer prevailing in South India. Therefore, sage Agastya went to Mt Kailash to ask Lord Shiva for water. The Kaveri was worshipping Lord Shiva at that time. Shiva picked her up and handed her to Agastya. The sage put her in his kamandalu (pot). Sage Agastya thanked Lord Shiva for his priceless gift and set out for his journey to South India. Indra, the king of god, did not like what Lord Shiva had done. So, he requested Lord Ganesha to go to sage Agastya and somehow overturn his kamandalu so that Kaveri might flow out. Ganesha took the form of a crow and approached sage Agastya. On his way, sage Agastya was tired and sat down to take a rest. He kept the kamandalu down. Ganesha flew downwards and sat on the rim of the kamandalu. As a result, the kamandalu was overturned and the Kaveri flowed out. Sage Agastya was very angry with the crow. But as soon as Lord Ganesha transformed to his true form, sage Agastya forgot his anger and calmed down. Lord Ganesha refilled Agastya’s kamandalu, but the Kaveri flowed on. The river continues to flow in India even today.
RIVER KAVERI
