Summertimes mean, long holidays and our visit to our maternal grandparents, almost every year. Apart from dishing out our favourite dishes, granny whom we addressed as Amma, always enthralled me and my brothers, with her wonderful folk tales. 

Bedtime was our favourite one because Amma narrated stories, which were interesting and exciting too. Now I would like to share one of those adorable stories, which she made more fascinating and attractive by adding her own dashes of imagination. 

Long ago Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi were seated in Kailasa, on one of the peaks of the Himalayas. Every day in the wee hours of the morning, their devotees came for their darshan. These included rishis, munis, kinnars, gandharvas, devas, and even asuras. Each one prostrated in front of them took their blessings and began their daily routines and various duties. 

Among the rishis, there was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva. His name was Bringhi rishi. Strangely unlike the others, who prayed both to the Lord and Goddess, he ignored Parvathi Devi and prostrated only in front of Shiva and kept uttering, Shambho Mahadeva constantly. He ignored Maata inadvertently and didn't give her any value, not out of pride, but due to his extreme devotion towards Shiva. 

This often irked the Goddess and sometimes she got irritated and confided in Shiva about that. The Lord smiled and answered, " Devi! Don't misunderstand or be upset by Bringhi rishi or his behaviour . He's so much immersed in my bhakti that he's unable to notice anyone else but me." 

But Parvathi was not satisfied with his answer and thought of teaching a lesson to Bringhi. As usual, one day when Bringhi came for darshan and prostrated in front of Shiva, furiously she uttered these words." Son! I being the authority of energy and strength of this whole world, I order you to give back all the energy stored in your body back to me ." To her utter surprise, Bringhi immediately replied, " I am so honoured mother by your kind words. Please take away from me, whatever belongs to you. "

Parvathi Devi didn't expect this and so in extreme wrath, she took away all his energy, as a result of which he couldn't get up. But Shiva being an epitome of kindness and benevolence, gave his devotee, a stick, with the help of which Bringhi got up slowly and thanking the Lord, wobbled away with unsteady steps. 

This enhanced the exasperation of Parvathi Devi and she wowed in fury that she wouldn't stay at a place where she had no value or respect. Indignantly she came down to Bhooloka or the earth. At this juncture, Amma would stop the story abruptly and order us to go to sleep. We couldn't disobey her and inwardly we knew that the story would continue the next day. 

We little kids would wait patiently, for the suspense to unfold, till the storytime. As the darkness of the night engulfed the countryside, we were excited about the story session. Then Amma would begin to narrate with enthusiasm, with the right punches and pauses. 

Here on the Bhooloka or earth, there was no sufficient rainfall for 12 long years. Because of that the rivers, ponds, and lakes had begun to dry up. The fields, trees, plants, and the creepers in the forests had become parched due to lack of water. 

Fortunately, Parvathi Devi had descended down from Kailasa and sat under a bilwa or bel tree (Agle marmelos), which has three leaves in each stem. Lord Shiva can be easily pleased by offering pooja with these leaves. It so happened that the place was in proximity to the ashram of the great sage Valmiki, who had written the long epic of Ramayana. Meanwhile, because of the advent of Devi, it started raining so heavily that the water bodies and rivers started brimming with water. The plants and creepers became leafy and fresh. The fields looked green and pleased with the rainfall. Flowers of all kinds champa, chameli, lotus and lily started blooming automatically. The whole environment was filled with fragrance and divinity. Through his intuitive power, Valmiki immediately realised the divine presence of the Goddess. So he came in search of her and to his pleasant surprise, saw Maata Parvathi, with closed eyes, sitting under the bel tree. 

Without wasting any time, he prostrated in front of her and requested her humbly, to visit his ashram and Devi obliged to his wishes instantly. He showered his hospitality on her by making her sit on a clean wooden plank, offered pooja with freshly plucked flowers and as an offering of prasadams, he offered her fruits, honey, and other delicacies. Devi accepted everything with great affection and love. 

While relaxing, Parvathi Devi said to Valmiki, "Oh, learned sage, I need your guidance and suggestion on an important matter." 

The sage was taken aback and he answered with reverence, with both his palms joined together, " Devi! Kindly give order to your servant, who is ever ready to serve you." 

Devi smiled and asked him as to which vrat or pooja offered to Shiva pleased him quickly so that he could grant her some boons. The sage suggested that Kedareswara vrata for 21 consecutive days starting from Shukla pakshami (which begins on Amavasaya or new moon day). 

On the fixed day Devi started her pooja along with other devkanyas( damsels from the celestial world). Every day they took bath in the river, put on fresh clothes, and offered flowers and prasadams to the Shivlinga, made out of the sand. One day two royal siblings passed by that way and asked the devkanyas about the pooja and revealed their desire to participate in the same. Happily, they were allowed to join the pooja. Again Amma stopped the story and promised to continue the next day. 

We were eagerly waiting for the dinner to get over, so that we could snuggle into the arms of Amma, smell the sweet and mixed odour which emitted from her saree, peculiar for any old granny and I simply loved that. 

She continued the story. Yes. The sisters who joined the pooja were in fact, daughters of a King, who was in exile with his family, loitering from one place to another, from one forest to another, as he was defeated in a battle and his enemies had usurped his kingdom. Unfortunately, his daughters had lost their way in the woods. But luckily while going from one place to another, found themselves in the company of these celestial beings. 

Everything went on smoothly. On the concluding day of the vrat, all of them tied rakshais (a sacred thread tried for prosperity and protection) around their wrists.  Lord Shiva was extremely pleased with the vrat and came riding on his vehicle in the form of a bullock. As per Parvathi Devi's wish, Shiva offered half portion of his body, known as Ardha Nareeswar (Half Devi and half Ishwar, the Lord). Parvathi Devi was satisfied that,, hereafter no devotee could ignore or insult her. Very happily, she along with her entourage of Devkanyas left for Kailasa. 

After tying the rakshais, the two siblings, the princesses, reunited with their parents. Very soon, the king got back all his lost wealth along with his kingdom. He married off his two daughters to rich princes of neighboring kingdoms. 

The elder sister being responsible, observed the vrat every year, without fail. But her younger sister forgot all about it after a few years. She threw away the rakshai on a snake gourd creeper, which grew very fast and yielded abundantly. She became poor and had to sell these vegetables for her survival. Once she sent her son to her sister's place, who was now very rich. 

The elder sister welcomed her nephew affectionately, who stayed with her for a few days. While leaving, she gave him a pouch full of gold coins. As the boy was going through a jungle, an egle snatched away the pouch and the poor lad, came crying to his periyamma or aunt. Again the aunt kept him with her for a couple of weeks and before he left, gave him a pouch full of gold coins. This time a robber snatched the pouch saying, " Your mother forgot all about the vrat. Hence your family is poor and suffering this much." 

The poor boy narrated everything to his aunt and she realised what had to be done. She asked him to stay with her, till her Kedareswara vrat for the year was over. After the conclusion of the vrat, she gave the sacred thread to him and said that he must remind his mother to observe the vrat every year without forgetting, for prosperity and happiness. 

As soon as he reached home, he narrated all the incidents as well as his aunt's advice to his mother. She realised her mistake immediately and tied the thread around her wrist and every year, without fail she observed that pooja. And they lived happily ever after.