The D®ying Pond

This is a small story of a small temple pond in a small village.

Thirunangur in Tamil Nadu hosts several temples. One of these temples has a pond.

It is June and the North East monsoon is far away. The village in running out of water and the pond is in its last throes.

The deepest part is just a miniscule sludgy puddle. Here, the cosmic dance of life and death is staged in all its splendour and grimness.

All the fish are hopelessly trying to survive through the summer. The Brahmini kites (Garuda – the vehicle for Lord Vishnu, the Protector, whose temple pond this happens to be) and king fishers do not have to wait long for their next meal.

The fish cannot breathe at the bottom of the puddle and have to come to the very top to find clearer water to breathe in. They take a quick breath and dive down into the dark murky depths and cheat death one more time.

It is a difficult choice - Go down and suffocate or come up only to be picked up. It cannot last long.

The kites swoop down with their strong talons and sharp curved beaks make a quick work. Easy pickings.

For the fish, the suffering is brought to an end – The God looks on. The birds, with their stomachs full, look on satisfied and sit on the temple tower – The God looks on.

Then the village children come in with a piece of cloth and end the misery of every surviving fish in one scoop of the cloth through the sludge.

They also end the story of the pond – The God looks on. He knows its not the end.

Post Script

Well... I had been to the place again. The pond is well and thriving. The fish, the birds, the people and the God too.