Saiva Saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar

 Karaikal Ammaiyar (meaning “the revered mother from Karaikkal”), one of the three women amongst the 63 Nayanmars, is one of the greatest figures of early Tamil Literature. She was born at Karaikkal, South India and lived during the 6^th Century. She was a great devotee of Lord Shiva.  A devotee, whom the Lord himself called his Mother, was Karaikkal Ammaiyaar!

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

                                      image source: google images

Born in the town of Karaikkal to a rich merchant, Karaikkal Ammaiyar was originally named Punithavathi. Punithavathi was devoted to Lord Shiva right from her childhood. When she came of age, her father got her married to another merchant by name Paramadattan from Nagapattinam. But as she was his only child, her father did not want her to stay away. Hence he built a house near his place for his daughter and son-in-law and made them live close by.

Punithavthi and Paramadattan started their life in Karaikkal. One day when Paramadattan was at work, a visitor brought him two mangoes. He sent the mangoes home. Punithavathiyar was alone at home. A devotee of Lord Shiva  came for food. Punithavathiyar offered him lunch and also one of the mangoes her husband had sent.

                                image source: google images

Later, when Paramadattan came home for lunch, he asked for a mango and ate it. He found the mango very sweet and wanted to eat the other mango too. Worried that Paramadattan may be angry if she said she had given it away, Punithavathi went inside and prayed to Lord Shiva. 

                                                      image source: google images

Miraculously, she got a mango in her hand and took it to her husband. Paramadattan found this mango extremely tasty and asked his wife about it. Punithavathi came out with the truth that the Lord had given it to her. Unable to believe this, Paramadattan asked Punithavathi to request the Lord for one more mango. She did this promptly and gave him the third mango (the second miraculous one). The mango vanished from Paramadattan’s hand.

                                             images Source: google images

Now Paramadattan understood that his wife was no ordinary woman and decided that he could not continue to live with her. He said he was going out of town on business and sailed out of the country. He came back and settled down in a town in Pandyanadu.He also married again and had a daughter. He named his daughter Punithavathi out of respect for his first wife.

Coming to know that Paramadattan was living in another town nearby, Punithavathi’s relatives took her to him. When they met, Paramadattan fell at Punithavathiyar’s feet along with his family members. The relatives were surprised to see the husband falling at his wife’s feet. Paramadattan then narrated the story of the mangoes to the relatives. Understanding that her husband would never live with her any more, Punithavathi wanted to give up her youth. She prayed to the Lord to change her form to a skeletal ghost (பேய் உருவம்). Her prayer was answered and she immediately transformed into a ghost. She proceeded to Kailasam in that form.

 Reaching Kailasam, she did not want to walk on her feet and hence started walking on her head. Goddess Parvathi enquired Lord Shiva about the ghost form walking upside down towards them. The Lord said, it was his “Mother” who was on her way to meet him. Punithavathiyar became Karaikkal Ammaiyar as the Lord himself called her His mother. She reached the Lord and fell at his feet, calling Him her father. She conveyed her wish to see His cosmic dance and the Lord asked her to reside in Thiruvalangaadu and see his dance there forever. Karaikkal Ammaiyar reached Thiruvalangaadu and once there, she could see only the Lord everywhere and hence continued to walk on her head. Here she sang the Lord’s praise and attained mukti.

Karaikkal Ammaiyar has composed many hymns on the Lord like “Arpudha Thiruvandhadhi”, “Irattai Mani Malai” and “Thiruvaalankaadu Mootha Thiruppthigam”.

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

About Maangani Thiruvizha celebrated in Kararikal

karaikkal ammaiyar during Maangani festival

Maangani Thiruvizha/Mango Festival is celebrated in Karaikaal every year. It is celebrated in the memory of Lord Bikshantar who will be provided food by Karaikal Ammaiyar during the Tamil month of Aani [June-July]. People from different parts of Tamil Nadu bring varieties of mangoes for this festival and offer it Lord Shiva and Karaikkal Ammaiyar. Each day the Panchamurthi or the Five divine Gods idol are taken through the streets of Karaikal. On the main day of the festival the huge idol of Lord Bikshantanr is taken through the streets. People are distributed curd and mangoes in the streets and in the temple. On that day, people throw Maangani or Mangoes from their roof tops towards the crowd. Goodness of eating the Mango caught in the festival includes blessings of Lord Shiva and those who did not have children for long years will surely give birth.

               

Kaaraikkal Ammaiyar Kovil

                

                                 images source: google images

The event of Saiva Saint Karaikkal Ammayar reaching Kailasa in her “Ghost body” is celebrated the next day.

The two hymns Rettai Mani Maali and Thiruvandadhi would be recited. After chanting, all the lights in the temple would be put off and lamp of Lord Shiva and Ammaiyar would be lit. The lamp of Ammayar would be taken to Lord Shiva and placed together signifying the reaching of Ammayar to the Lotus feet of Lord Shiva in Jyothi form.

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

THIRUCHITRAMBALAM