KARAIKAL AMMAYAR
Friends,

All of you might have heard about CHOLA NADU KARAIKKAL was an important port town of CHOLA NADU which became a French territory consisting of four unconnected and now in the Union Territory of India, known as PONDICHERRY . The three districts are now in Tamil Nadu called as Puducherry, Karaikkal , and Yanam AND Mahe which is in the present Kerala State. As per Wikipedia “Before 1739 Karaikal was under the regime and control of Raja Pratap Singh of Tanjavur. In 1738, Dumas, a shrewd calculative prudent man and a lover of peace and above all one who was anxious to extend the French territory in India by smooth means, negotiated with Sahuji of Thanjavur for possession of Karaikal, the fortress of Karakalcheri and five villages for 40,000 chakras.
In the centre of KARAIKKAL in Bharathiar Street a girl child was born to DANA DATHAN AND DHANA- LAKSHMI AMMAYAAR of VAISYA CASTE who was named as PUNITHAVATHI. Since DANA DATTHAN was from Merchant Community, he was very wealthy. PUNITHAVATHI from childhood itself was a devotee of Lord SHIVA. The life time of PUNITHAVATHY is estimated as 6th Century when it was part of CHOLA Empire. Punithavathi grew up as a very attractive girl endowed with beauty, and as she attained marriageable age of those days, her father married her to PARAMADATHAN who was the son of a rich merchant of NAGAPATTANAM. After marriage also PUNITHAVATHI who was a Lord Shiva’s devotee did not leave chanting of the SIVA MANTHRA called PANCHAAKHSHARI (ॐ नमः शिवाय, நம: சிவாய, നമഃശിവായ) which she used to chant from childhood. She was such an ardent devotee of LORD SHIVA.
One day her husband, PARAMADATHTHAN who had gone on tour for selling his merchandise sent her two ripe mangoes. It so happened as if a coincidence, that a Shiva devotee went to her house. As customary she was to feed the devotee. However the meals were not ready. She then remembered about the mango fruits her husband had sent. She took one out of them and gave it to the Shiva devotee who ate it with pleasure and went away. When her husband, PARANTHAMAN came home, he was very hungry and asked his wife to give him the mango which he had sent. She gave him one mango which was left. The mango was so delicious that he asked his wife to give him the other mango also. Now Punithavathi was in a great dilemma as she had given one mango to the Shaiva devotee and hence prayed to Lord Shiva to help her in this dilemma and LO! One mango fruit appeared in her palms which she gave to her husband. It was tastier than the previous mango fruit which he ate and asked PUNITHAVATHI as to from where she obtained the fruit. PUNITHAVATHI told her husband all the incidents which occurred from the arrival of the Shiva devotee. He could not believe this and hence asked her to get a mango in his presence. She then prayed to Lord Shiva to help her in this precarious occasion and another mango of the same type appears in her palms which she gave to her husband. When PARANTHAMAN received it, the fruit disappeared. On seeing this PARANTHAMAN started shivering with fear thinking that his wife was having some divine powers and cursing his arrogance in testing her chastity by asking for another mango fruit. He then thought that he was worthless to be her husband and without announcing left her feeling that she was worthy of worshipping and he was not a suitable husband to her. He married another girl and begot a daughter to whom he named as PUNITHAVATHI in memory of his first wife. On hearing this news, the Elder Punithavathi’s relatives took her in a PALANQUIN to her husband, PARANTHAMAN who hearing that she was going to him saw her and prostrated before her and told all who had accompanied the PALANQUIN that he was not worth to be her husband and also told all who had assembled there, that he considered her as Goddess. On hearing these words PINITHAVATHI prayed to Lord Shiva to deprive her from her beauty and to bestow her with an ugly look. Immediately she transformed as she wanted.After getting transformed as an ugly woman she went on pilgimige to KAILASA. The abode of LORD SHIVA . As she was about to reach KAILASA she thought that keeping her legs in the abode of Lord Shiva was the greatest sin and hence went on her head to Kailasa. The lord with his consort “PARVATHY” welcomed her and asked her to take a boon from Him. On seeing Lord with His consort Punitha vathi prostrated before them and told “ ‘Oh Lord of Mercy, give me sincere, pure, unalloyed, eternal and overflowing devotion unto You. I want no more birth. If, however, I have to take birth here, grant me that I should never forget You. Whenever You dance, I must be at Your feet singing Your praise. This is my only wish’. Lord SHIVA granted this boon to her and asked her and asked her to proceed to THIRUVALANGADU ( திருவாலங்காடு ) which is known as RATHA SABHAI( ரத்ந சபை ) among the FIVE IMPORTANT TEMPLES OF LORD SHIVA where he is known as NATA RAJA She spent her rest of the life at this place singing in praise of Lord Shiva. She is later known as KARAIKKAL AMMAYAR. She has written two important works called ARPPUTHA THIRUVANTHAATHI and THIRU ERATTAI MANI MALAI ( அர்ப்புத திருவந்தாதி, திரு எரட்டை மணி மாலை).
There are 63 slaves called NAYANMAAR of Lord Shiva among whom there are three ladies. Karaikkal Ammayar occupies the prime place among them. In the year 1929 , one Sri. Malai Perumal constructed a temple in memory of KARAIKKAL AMMAYAR known as SHRI. PUNITHAVATHI KOIL in BHARATHIAR STREET OF KARAIKKAL the birth place of Punithavathi Ammayar. There is also a temple inside this temple which is dedicated to Lord Vigneswara. During the Tamil Month of AANI ( ஆனி மாதம் ) ( which falls in June or July month ) a festival called MAANGAAI THIRUNAL( மாங்காய் திருநாள் ) in memory of KARAIKKAL AMMAYAR’s giving a mango fruit to the Shaiva saint and even now ANNA DANAM WITH MANGOE is distributed at the nearest and adjacent hall of the temple on that day.

Friends, this is the AITHIHYAM on KARAIKKAL AMMAYAR ONE OF THE GREATEST AMONG THE 63 NAYANMARS.

Regards and Namaskarams,
P.R.RADHAKRISHNAN