Thread Delicious-sneek-a-peek At My Backyard

Donating gold to a priest on auspicious or other ritual day is in vogue from time immemorial. It was promulgated as such by then kings and priest class so that souls in heaven get better berthing and the latter get enriched!

On death anniversary day, at the end of ceremonies - King Krishna Deva Raya donated grains & gold inmango shape to assembled priests as per extant practice. He did it in the belief that such huge philanthropies to priests class would get a permanent cozy place for his mother in heaven. Tenali was unhappy that king believes in superstition & wasting money from coffers.

“Why golden mango?” Tenali Asked the king. He was told that his mom just before her last breath sought ripe mango but by the time it was brought to her she had expired. This was discussed with priest. They said the soul departed with huge disappointment ans so charity should include gifting away mango “preferably” in the form of gold.

Tenali wanted to impart a lesson to the king! He announced to the waiting group of avaricious priests that - the day after he would perform anniversary of his beloved late mother and he too like the King would give away gift that what his mom wished last.

Rejoiced with this announcement, the priests were all on cloud nine and promised their presence in good time.

Tenali performed a mock ritual of mom anniversary and at the conclusion of it, requested priests in attendance to stand in a queue and proceed one by one to go to the back yard
of his home where arrangement made to distribute the gifts and after receiving it,
the priest would exit by back-door.

Priests vying with each other, jostled to be at the top of the queue!

One by one was let in by Tenali to a distant hidden rear-portion of the house and soon all priests had gone through this process. A faint distant voice of “Ayyo-ayyai-Oooo” heard intermittently by Tenali & by those standing in queue.

Next morning the entire team of priests assembled at the Rayar’s Royal court, lodging complaint that in the name of gift, Tenali had punished all of them and narrated the “gift” that was awarded to each of them. Upon hearing this, A shocked king sent for Tenali who was at home, anticipating the call.

Soon, Tenali reported in the royal court and looked at the team of priests eagerly looking forward that he be punished. The king demanded to know from Tenali as to why he had punished the priests instead of handing them with ‘solid’ gifts.

Posing a dead-pan face, tad sobbing with tears swelling in his eyes, narrated that his mother prior to her last breath wished to have hot-pack applied over her semi-paralysed thighs and by the time it was readied, she had expired. “Your gifting the priest with golden-mango crossed my mind. To expiate, I decided that I too must follow your practice and must gift priests same way so that my mother too get safe space in heaven. Hence, I used the hot-iron branding over thigh of each priest”.

 

Nameof mango and its origin