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Rohini's Challenge

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In a quaint old city, deep in the hinterland of the country, a rich merchant once announced a reward of a thousand gold coins for anyone who could spend a whole winter night standing knee deep in the river.   In the same city, lived an old man and his young daughter, Rohini. The old man was poor and burdened with debt – he had nothing more to lose but his life. He decided to try his luck and accepted the merchant’s challenge.   On a cold wintry night, the old man mustered up all his courage and waded into the river. A little off the bank, as the freezing water knocked against his quivering knees, he steadied himself and stood facing the bank. A little crowd gathered and twittered amongst themselves. Most concluded he wouldn't last even until midnight. As the night grew deeper, they grew impatient and drifted away homewards. Eventually, the river bank was empty, even the howling dogs having retreated into warmer corners of the city.  When dawn broke the next morning, the old man wal

A Sea, a pirate and the birth of a lake

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  How Raktabahu’s evil intent was undone and Chilika was born   I love stories with fantastical elements, peppered with larger-than-life characters and dollops of magic realism. On a recent trip to Lake Chilika on the eastern coast of Odisha state, I stumbled upon some quaint legends surrounding the lake, especially its formation. And, like with all stories, I love embellishments. So, here is my ‘decorated’ version. The story goes, there was a roguish pirate king by the name, Raktabahu. Literally, that translates to one who’s arms are drenched with blood. He did have the blood of many on his hands, metaphorically speaking. He had looted , pillaged and killed many in his violent attacks on trading ships sailing the eastern seas. The ships laden with merchandise for foreign shores, with their weather-beaten but honest sadhavas (sailor merchants) would be caught unawares on moonlit nights on the high seas. The moon would be a mute witness to the murders as masked bandits sprand aboar