Most people in Kodagu would have visited the Triveni Sangama and Talakaveri at least once in their lives. While the Sangama is the confluence of River Kaveri and her tributaries Kannike and the mythical Sujyothi, Talakaveri is the birthplace of River Kaveri. I myself have travelled across India and overseas, but had missed out on visiting this place of worship in the very district I was born in. Sometimes, we are fortunate enough to visit distant lands, yet miss out on some gems in our own backyards. My trip to Sangama is a testimony to this irony.
Visiting the Sangama was my way of showing gratitude to the goddess who is said to have birthed this lush and bountiful land I belong to. Legend has it that this was, once upon a time, a dry and barren land. But when the Goddess Kaveri flowed through here like a river, she rejuvenated everything in her way. Today, Kodagu is anything but dry. Mist envelops the hills like a mother embraces her children. Here and there, the reflection of trees makes the river look green. During monsoons, Kaveri’s waters touch the walls of the Bhagandeshwara temple at Bhagamandala and recede.
To honour her father’s wishes, Kaveri marries Agasthya under one condition–that she will be at liberty to forsake him if left alone.
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