[	Tags	|	amma, story, temples	]
[	Current Mood	|	sleepy	]

This is a literal translation of Amma's article in this month's Mangayar Malar (page 66). It was a prize winning article in the "Petti Kadhai" series which literally means "Small box stories" i.e. very short stories.

Sumathi's child was bed ridden. No amount of anti-biotics or doctor consultations would bring the fever down. Sumathi atlast turns to the tried and tested religious re-course. She decides to offer her child's hair to a temple and ties an one rupee coin in turmeric stained cloth to formalize the offer. Two days after, the fever subsides and the child is back on his feet.

To solemnize the promised offer, Sumathi and her family go to the temple. Sumathi is disgusted with the amount of the filth strewn all over the temple. They see 'devotees' tossing plastic bags and left over food all over the temple premises. Seeing this, Sumathi and her family resolve to take a different religious pledge henceforth. Instead of offering tonsures or money or articles in kind, they would come and clean the temple premises.