T he Sarayu carried more tears than water. Ayodhya was a sad kingdom. Dasaratha was a good king. He upheld dharma – justice and morality – as best as he could. The citizens were apparently happy. Then, one day, it all changed. One person is enough to change the destiny of a whole kingdom. Who was that one person? Some say it was Kaikeyi, one of the three official wives of Dasaratha. Some others say it was Manthara, Kaikeyi’s chief maid. Manthara was a hunchback. She was the caretaker of Kaikeyi right from the latter’s childhood; foster mother, so to say, because Kaikeyi had no mother. The absence of maternal influence can distort a girl child’s personality. With a foster mother like Manthara, the distortion can be really bad. Manthara was cunning, selfish, and morally ambiguous. A severe physical deformity can make one worse than all that. Manthara was as devious and manipulative as a woman could be in a men’s world. Add to that all the jealousy and ambition that insecure peo...
Cerebrate and Celebrate
Wooohhhh!!!! Nice pic... Where is the pic taken?
ReplyDeleteA village in Kerala.
DeleteHope this remains...Btw, is the one behind the banana leaves a Cocoa?
ReplyDeleteYes, it's cocoa.
DeleteBeautiful! Awesome capture!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bushra... Glad you liked it.
DeleteLanes become insignificant when we try to reach heaven. Nice take.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a narrow path leading to a stream...
DeleteBeautiful and truly luxuriant, reminds me of my village.
ReplyDeleteSo much beauty in the countryside, isn't it? Nice to know you liked this.
DeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteGreen and peaceful.
Indeed... thanks.
DeleteThere must be some danger somewhere ...
ReplyDeleteRE
No danger, Raghuram. The path is used just once a day or so when the owner goes to pump water from the river to which the path goes.
DeleteI wonder, why would you even come back.
ReplyDeleteCertain compulsions, Sid.
DeleteWonderful shot of nature.
ReplyDeleteYes, Rajesh. Thanks.
Deletenice capture. Where is this?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely private property in a village in Kerala.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete