A mysterious dream, a magnificent temple, and a simple act of kindness that touched the divine.

This was the time when the big temple in Thanjavur was almost finished. They had even picked a date for the special ceremony (kumbabishekam).

King Raja Raja Cholan was pleased that the temple was built well, just as he had hoped. He was sleeping peacefully when Lord Shiva himself appeared in his dream.

“Raja Raja!” the Lord called.

King Raja Raja Cholan replied, “Lord, I can’t even describe my wonderful fortune! You have appeared before me; it’s a blessing. How do you like the temple I built for you? I have built a very big temple in this town that everyone is amazed by. I am going to name it ‘Thanjai Big Temple’. Are you happy with it?” he asked joyfully.

The Lord smiled and said,

“Hmm, we are delighted. We are especially happy under the shade of an old woman’s feet,”

and then disappeared.

Raja Raja’s dream ended.

When he woke up, King Raja Raja told his court about the dream the next day and asked for an explanation.