For story continuity, please check my previous blogs.

Chapter Nine- Liberation
 

      As Paranjothi approached the roof, climbing up the rope, he felt two iron hands grasping his arms and lifting him.  The next moment he saw himself standing on the roof and in front of him there was the Buddha Bhikshu with a finger on his lips as a sign of "don't speak". Behind him, there is another young Buddhist ascetic standing.  As soon as the great Bhikshu gesture, the young Buddha ascetic pulled up the rope coiled it up inside a saffron cloth and tied it.  Standing on the rooftop, Paranjothi looked around and as far as the eye could see he saw the roofs of Kanchi city's lofts glowing in moonlight.

      By this time the great Bhikshu had covered up the hole in the roof of the prison with tiles and beckoned Paranjothi with a finger to follow him.  After him, Paranjothi and the young Bhikshu walked silently over the thatched roofs and the moonlit halls.  If he heard any sound on the street, Buddha Bhikshu immediately sat down and signaled to those coming behind him. He got up and walked after the muddle was over.
In this way, after passing through the roofs of seven or eight buildings, they came to a place in front of a house on the side of the road, where a were growth of panneer trees grew. 

     Panneer flowers, clustered between the green leaves of the Panneer trees, shone bright in the moonlight . The sweet fragrance of the flowers was spreading on all four sides.  

       Buddha Bhikshu check on both sides and got down holding onto one of the panmeer trees.  Paranjothi and the young bhikshu got down like that.  After walking a short distance, they reached the entrance of a beautiful temple-like building.  The building is the largest of the Buddhist monastery in the city of Kanchi.  It is known as 'Royal Monastery'.  One of the tooth of Lord Buddha, Karunamurthy, was enshrined in the temple's sanctum sanctorum.

       Although the Pallava kings were devoted to different religions from time to time, they treated all religions equally and used to grant grant to their respective religious institutions.  Thus the Royal Monastery received the royal grant.  Besides, some very wealthy people in Kanchi were Buddhists.  One of them, a merchant named Thanadasan, when his only son was sick, prayed that "if the child survives, I will renovate the Royal Monastery".  In order for the boy to survived, he spent a lot of money and renovated the monastery.

To be continued....