In Part One, the goddess Parvati creates nine farmer-brothers to cultivate the land. During a severe drought, the brothers and their wives are forced to seek the aid of the Chola King, who grants them land in Ponnivala. The eldest accidentally kills a herd of sacred cows, and his family and land are cursed by Lord Shiva to suffer seven generations of barrenness. The old farmer and his wife are granted a magical baby as relief from this terrible curse, but they die when the boy is just five years old. Orphaned and homeless, he finds refuge as a servant in the home of a wealthy farming family. Only when this boy has grown does Lord Vishnu reveal to him that the young sister of his masters is his rightful bride, and that he is the kingdom of Ponnivala's true heir. When the kingdom has been reclaimed, the new king and his wise wife undertake a decades-long journey to the Council Chamber of Lord Shiva. They plan to beg his pardon and lift the family curse. This wish is granted, but along the way a new threat to the family and kingdom is revealed. Several seeds of destruction have been planted that will threaten the very existence of the beautiful land of Ponnivala in the next generation.