Tamarai - Part II: Her Marriage and Early Years in Ponnivala
Tamarai has now grown into a lovely young woman. She is now
sixteen years old, but she still loves to sit in her simple garden
swing.
Kunnutaiya, the servant and shepherd boy who works for
Tamarai’s family, has fallen in love with her.
Despite Tamarai’s brothers’ objections Lord Vishnu helps
arrange a marriage between Tamarai and Kunnutaiya. She is led to
the spot in the forest where the wedding will occur.
The wedding place is by an old temple. Lord Vishnu, in
disguise, leads the way. No family members will be present.
Now Lord Vishnu takes on his normal appearance and marries
the couple himself.
Vishnu magically produces two flower garlands and has the
couple place them around each other’s necks, as is the wedding
custom.
But then Tamarai’s family sends insulting wedding gifts: a
dried up old cow and a blind goat, as well as other unwanted things.
Tamarai explains the meaning of these gifts to her new
husband. They are symbols that say “don’t you two ever come
back here.”
The two leave on a journey to find Kunnutaiya’s homeland,
Ponnivala. They are happily married but sad that they have been
treated like this by Tamarai’s family.
Tamarai and Kunnutaiya struggle, walking a very long
distance in the sun and in the rain.
Eventually, after many days, the couple see two temples in
the distance. This tells them that they have finally arrived in the
land of Ponnivala.
Tamarai’s first desire is to clean the old family temple
and get it back into a clean and pleasing condition.
Next Tamarai helps her husband build a small hut where they
will live.
Tamarai helps sort the lumber and work out the details of
their house design.
The women of the area bring Tamarai some of the necessary
items for cooking. She thanks the two ladies for their kindness and
starts to organize her new home.
Finally the house is ready. The couple have even purchased a
cow!
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