The Story of Hot Springs!

Sham S. Misri

(A Legend):

The people of Philippines say how Tiwi Springs came to exist. They say that the place where the springs are now located used to be a prosperous village. In this village there lived a maiden who was lovely and extremely beautiful. Many people tried to marry this maiden, because she was industrious, kind and true besides being very lovely.

One day, as the sun god was riding on his fiery chariot, he caught sight of the beautiful maiden. When the sun god saw the maiden, his heart gave a leap. He decided to marry the girl.

When the sun god returned home in the heaven, he told his father about his marrying the beautiful girl.

“I’ve not seen a person as lovely and beautiful even in our kingdom,” the sun god told his father.

“She may be lovely but she’s only a mortal,” the god of god’s told his son.

“But I’ve decided to win and marry her,” the sun god insisted.

“That will never do! Gods never marry mortals,” said the god of gods firmly.

The sun god said no more. His father had already taken a decision not to marry his son with an earthly lady.

The following morning, his son refused to go about his usual job of bringing light to the earth. For many days he refused to ride on his fiery chariot again. So the earth was filled with darkness, and the people thought that the world had come to an end. The god of gods, seeing the darkness and gloom that ruled the earth, took pity on mankind. So he allowed his son to go down to earth to ask for the lovely maiden’s hand in marriage.

In his great joy and haste, the sun god forgot to remove his fiery clothes. He also forgot that his chariot was so fiery that it could set aflame anything near it. He forgot too, that his eyes were two balls of fire that could set aflame of lightning; he rode on his chariot and moved down to the earth. As the sun god approached the village where the maiden lived, houses, trees and everything else had caught fire. The people of the village, including the maiden, lost their lives in fire.

When the fire died down, nothing was left. But right in the place where the village stood, hot springs bubbled forth from the hot earth. Thus, did the hot springs come to exist! People from all places come to bathe in the hot Springs. They claim that the hot water of the springs is a good cure for many diseases.