The Story of Birth of River Kaveri

One year there were no rains. The ponds and wells dried up. People were in misery. Seeing this, Sage Agastya went to Lord Shiva on Mount Kalish.

The Kalish mountain was bounty of beauty and peaceful. Lord Shiva was in meditation. Besides him sat Kaveri with head bowed humbly.

Sage Agastha pleaded Lord Shiva and asked him to bless people with water. Lord Shiva took Kaveri and put her in Agasyha's kamandalu.

Agastha bowed before Shiva, thanking him. He set back for this home in far south.

When Indra, the King of God who ruled the heaven heard about grant of Kaveri as a boon to Sage Agastha, he was disgusted. He went to Ganapati and asked him to aver the kamandalu.

Lord Ganapati who was known for intelligence and presence of mind, agreed to help Lord Indra. He guised as a crow and flew after Agastha.

It was blazing hot. The sage was tired and sat under a tree to rest for a while. While he got into sleep, the crow came and sat on his kamandalu. The vessel turned over and Kaveri flowed out of it. The sage hearing the sound woke up in anguish. He was enraged to see the overflown Kaveri. Just then Ganapati revealed him. He told Sage Agastha that the land there needs water and so he let Kaveri out.

God Ganpati then benevolently filled the sage's kamadela with Kaveri's water. He enlightened Sage Agastha and then disappeared. The sage returned home with the water of kaveri received as a boon.