The main character of this real incident will be referred as "HE".

He was born and brought up in a village nearby "Sathuragiri". He belonged to a poor family and his parents did not care about the kids. The kids turned out to become arrogant and brought home only problems. Since his father was a drunkard he always had to work for living from childhood and never even stepped in a school for education. But some how, the concept of "God" was strong in him even though he became an arrogant man. He dared everything and did not fear about anything.

One day he heard about a temple up the hill and climbed it alone in the dark of the night. By morning, even before sunrise he reached Sathuragiri temple and was amazed to see a simple place and a lingam there and something in him said he belong there. The first step towards transformation started in him there. So, with that beginning he thought of doing some good at the hill where he found the devotees climbing the hill suffering from thirst. So he decided to do something for that. The infrastructure was beyond his reach.

With a plan he got down and went to work at different places on daily wages. When he worked in a shop as mason, instead of receiving daily wages, he requested the shop owner to provide him with two big plastic gallons. When the shop owner asked him for what, he revealed his plan of providing drinking water to devotees at Sathuragiri. Instead of one gallon the shop owner gave him two and some glasses with that.

He started to provide drinking water at "Rettai Lingam" on Amavasai Day. For three days, he will simply sit there and provide water during daytime and at the end of the day he will run up the hill and go to the temple and have food and stay there. He used to carry 20 Ltrs of water on his shoulders from "Korakunda" and quenched the thirst of devotees. It happened for 61 Amavasai Days. Wow! Really a blessed one.

In the course of these days, he got married and soon all the problems started to crop up. At times he thought he should not have married and only because of family he had to face new problems. May be Mahalingam wanted to tease him. He lost the job he had, and no income was there. Due to crunchy situation, he had a fight with his wife one day and she with her kids went to her parents. Since no body was there to take care he went back to his parents, who refused to accommodate him. So he came to a conclusion of committing suicide and with the thought of asking Mahalingam, he came to Thaniparai to climb the mountain.

At Thaniparai, five people joined him to climb. After climbing some distance he asked the five persons who they are. One Guru, One Sishya (subsequently came to know, these two came with an intention), one merchant and his friend (these two wanted to become Millionaires by finding out the gold and stones in the mountain) and the last one was a vaidhyan who wanted to make a research and find out the mooligai which converted any metal in to gold.

He went and promised to them that he will take them top of the hill but they have to pay. Initially, everybody disagreed except the Guru who was silent. When he found them not viable, he started to climb up when, the Guru directed sishya to bring him saying he will be of much help to them in their venture. After getting his assurance that he will certainly help them and will not reveal the facts to anybody, they promised him some money and took his services.

He took them to the temple and after worshipping the deities, the Guru suddenly asked him to take them to "Thavasi Cave". He immediately retorted saying he had heard about the place and one should go there only if they are invited. They all insisted him to take them there. The need for money pushed him to Thavasi Cave. With hesitation he brought them to the entrance of the cave. While at the entrance the Guru meditated for sometime and asked his "Sishya" to go inside the cave along with "HIM". Initially, he refused but had to obey the order. They scrambled thro the hole and it went on deeply. Half-way he found three more passages join in a place forming "X" and at the center of the "X" he found a hole going down further. Some hunch told him, ok this is it and we have to turn back. He told the sishya to come back and said going ahead is not a good decision. The sishya who was in an inquisitive mood refused and wanted to go ahead. He thought about his fate to obey and scrambled a bit. At the end of one passage way suddenly he saw a saint meditating.

The saint was fully nude, with black long hair and white beard/moustache. He was sitting in padmasana and meditating.

He thought not to go further and turned back and asked the sishya to come back. The sishya refused and proceeded further. When he turned back to see the saint once again, he saw a big bear come out from the left side (back) of the saint and stood tall in front of the sishya. The sishya was startled and lost words and felt the danger. The bear started to attack the sishya on his face and the entire jaw portion separated from his face. The sishya bathed in blood and began to scramble towards the entrance more pain. The bear kept on attacking him. Seeing this he started to crawl fast towards the entrance and suddenly felt the hand of ‘Bear" on HIS thigh portion catching his dhoti. Loudly HE called "Oh Muruga help me!" and he could remember being thrown out of the cave but without any injuries. Actually the bear pushed him outside and he fell in front of the cave. He rose and ran sideways. He saw the guru and others standing outside the cave. He told them they are all wrong and should run immediately. Instead, they stood their stand. He advised them that the bear may come out anytime and asked them to escape. Within seconds, the bear came out pushed him sideways and started to attack all the three. It bit on the hand of the Guru and tore the muscle and the bone came out. The blood started to ooze out. It repeatedly attacked the other two and all of them fled. Not a single scratch was made on his body, it stared at HIS face and went towards the bush and vanished.

The Guru wanted to get out of the place immediately neglecting the sishya. But he wanted to save the sishya don’t want him dead. So he went and peeped through the cave entrance grabbed the hand and pulled him out. He was bathed in blood and needed help to reach even Sundara Mahalingam Temple from Thavasi. Some how he took the sishya to the temple and already people have gathered there to see them since they all heard the sound at the top.

Several people saw them with anxiety and enquired what happened but when asked for help to get the Guru, sishya and others down to Thaniparai, refused and simply fled from the scene. He took the help of "Palliyars (The Tribe at the hill) and with their help brought them to Thaniparai. In between, they stayed at "Korakunda" for some rest and the Guru’s pain was excruciating and started to cry and making noise. He went to Korakkar Cave and pleaded help from him. Suddenly a flash of light came in and seeped in to the body of the guru and shishya and they started to sleep. Till reaching Thaniparai, they did not feel the pain. On reaching ground, the pain started again and he took them to a hospital and they directed him to Madurai Hospital. At Madurai GH, they refused to accept them as patients on seeing the condition. They asked him to report the same to forest officials and police department and come back. He was not aware of the formalities but knows only to pray. He prayed to Mahalingam to help him come out of this difficulty. Suddenly a policeman known to him came and he assured the doctors and they treated them all.

He went home only to see his wife and kids have come back waiting for him. Due to the incident he was so much tired and went to sleep. In his dream came Mahalingam and revealed him several things.

Actually, the saint was so much angry with all of them even with him for disturbing his meditation and wanted to destroy everybody. Mahalingam only stopped the saint from cursing him since he has done "Jala Dhana" to devotees for 61 Amavasai and revealed his state of mind to the saint. The punya earned by giving water to devotees for 61 days protected him. Mahalingam directed him not to come to mountain for next 5 years. Till such time he was asked to concentrate on family and bring up the kids. Mahalingam also assured that after 5 years he will send in the invitation to come and work at his hill. He should not bargain when the job is offered at the hill. His family will be taken care of and blessed.

When he woke up he saw he was dreaming but felt the order of Mahalingam real. Yes he started to get regular daily wages work there after and he and his family survived with that.

He could join his kids in a Government School and they started to study extremely well.

After 5 years, he received an invitation from Sathuragiri to come and work as a cook. Now he is working as Assistant Cook in the Annadhana being taking place in the Sathuragiri hill. His daughter scored distinction in 10^th standard and studying well. He never bargained for his salary thereafter.

Now a day he feels that the ways of God is entirely different. He is a very good astrologer also. He prepares food tastefully and has built up lot of confidence, faith in Mahalingam.

Om Namasivaya!