Memories of a Temple Pond

This is how a temple pond in Keralam looks. How beautiful it is! Close to the temple, another structure paved with tiles on its roof, stands like a shelter to the devotees taking bath in the pond. There are steps from the top to the bottom from where one can get into the holy water and take a blissful dip.

Our village temple too has a pond. It has no frills and fancies attached to it, but it does have a humble coconut leaf thatched shelter. It does not have steps to reach the water. A simple, non descript pool of water, cleaned at times, depending on the financial position of the poor temple is all that describes the "theerthakkulam". Still, the village's elitists and the ordinary ones alike came there to have a dip.

Everyone who took bath in the pond visited the deity with the wet clothes. A clean body and a praying soul narrowed down the distance between the 'dehi' and 'deham' at the abode of "Olavaipil Thevar", as we fodly called our presiding diety. The Mahadevar temple had only a few visitors those days, but as the days passed by, the number of devotees swelled, but they hardly take bath in the temple pond now. The temple pond now cries for attention from the urbanized villagers.

Elders took bath and went about their routine jobs. When we start our bath, there could be a few elders who stand on the edge of the pond, cleaning their teeth with twigs of mango or neem tree. Most of us used 'umikkari'- the charred remains of the husk of rice grains- to clean the teeth. We believed a mix of the cinder of husk of the rice grains and crystals of salt cleaned the teeth much effectively than the chemicals we use at present. Children came to the temple pond only to have a blast. It was not just a bath we meant. It was a no holds barred revelry in water lasting for several hours.

Guys jumped one after the other into the pond as if big boulders fell in water. That was just the beginning. We swam to every direction in the pond. Someone fully immersed and some others floating. Back stroke, front stroke, breast stroke, free style whatever be the technical names, we guys knew everything. The ones who disappeared in water were not seen for a while. After a brief lull, they raised from water on the other side of the pond. That was thrilling. Many times, one by on remained in water while others counted 1,2,3...I don't remember up to where we counted but as much as I could recall, it was not more than 100.

But, there was a spoil sport often appeared at the vicinity. He was known as "manager." He shouted at the children to stop the bath and get lost. Children were afraid of him and so, they quietly made an exit from the scene. He was known as manager in the village because he was managing the temple at that time. He was our neighbour and a close friend of our father. He had a grocery shop and the ration shop right opposite the temple. Manager had a wooden face like most of the rustic fathers. He always appeared on the spot to pour cold water on most of our joyful outings, be it in the temple pond or in the temple premises. Elders' psychology those days was like that. They never liked children making too much of noise, running helter skelter all over, stone the mango or a cashew tree. They often tend to shoo away children who trespass onto their compounds.

The fiery eyed face of Vinod's father makes me always wonder about this unaccommodating mindset of the elders. Vinod was our neighbour and a close friend. Whenever his father sighted him playing, his father broke a piece of stick from the nearby fence and beat him mercilessly. Fearing the wrath of the ever angry old man, Vinod, at times, skipped those happy moments with us. Probably the father was worried about his studies. For him, life was not to be whiled away indulging in such non productive activities. The concerned father's wish has come true, to a great extent. Vinod leads a comfortable life now. Recently when we met on the occasion of the temple festival in our village, he talked to me about the family trip to Singapore.

When we bathed in the pond located in our house compound, only a few guys joined. The most essential person was Nanu. He was like a shadow and it was pleasure being with this witty little boy. Our pond was small and so the space was not enough for more guys. Perhaps, this was a mini swimming pool in which we learned a little of swimming skills. Those self learned maneuvers were used in full throttle in the temple pond. These were the time everyone drank the water from the ponds. Many times, water entered through nose too, but that was quiet natural in the learning process.

There were a few naughty creatures in the pond. A group of tilapia fish lived in the pond along with many other varieties. These funny tilapias always mistook their prey with the little private parts of the guys! It was not painful but a little irritating at times. Still we liked their presence in the pond as it was a belief that they acted like scavengers. Wherever I spot these fish in the lakes and water bodies in tourist spots, my mind suddenly takes a return journey to that pond in the temple compound.

After a violent bath, the water in the pond used to turn black due to the mud being kicked up. No wonder if the manager's wooden face turns red. That was almost a routine but the show went on unstopped. Descendants of tilapias may be still swimming in that water body, waiting for the "little preys". But we stop short of diving into that water, lest the manager, watching from the heavens may not like to see the presumably serene pond turned into a pool of muddy water yet again. I let my memories take a dive and remain there for hours together....