Aranmanai Chandana Karuppu.

Aranmanai Chandana Karuppu.

By

P.R.Ramachander

This temple is at Natham of Dindukkal district. Once upon a time this area was ruled by a king called Lingama Nayakkar. He was a good king and used to go other kingdoms to see what improvements he can bring to his kingdom. Once he went to Thirumayam which was ruled by Azhagan Nambi Raja. He was a very proud king and there was a rule in his kingdom, that no one except him should wear a head gear and travel in a chariot. So Lingama Nayakkar was asked to remove his turban and get down from his chariot. He refused to do. So he was taken before Nambi Raja. During the argument Lingama Nayakkar claimed that he was a better king. Then Nambi Raja said that he would arrange for a test. If Lingama Nayakkar wins, he would give his daughter Muthu Thiruvai Nachiar to him in marriage. He also gave some time to Lingama Nayakkar for preparation.
Lingama Nayakkar returned to his town and consulted his astrologer Kerala Mannadi Parambu Nayar. Before that he arranged for a test to the astrologer.
He kept a bitch about to deliver in a room, tied a thread on its front leg and gave the other end of the thread to Nayar. He told him that a woman was about to deliver. He wanted to know as to how many children would be born and their sex. Nayar predicted that four pups would be born, two of them male. He also told that two of the pups would be white and two black. This happened exactly as foretold.
Then Lingama Nayakkar asked him, how to win in the test to be arranged by Nambi Raja. He told, “In Kottarakkara a boy belonging to a Namboodiri family is living as a washer man. His name is Manthra Balan. Only he can help you.” Lingama Nayakkar managed to bring Manthra Balan.
When Nayakkar told about his problem Manthra Balan asked him, “What will you give me?” Then Nayakkar promised that he would be made god of the 64 villages under his rule. Manthra Balan showed a spot and asked Nayakkar to dig. He got a magical pot and a magical wand from there
On the day of test Nambi Rajan gave a spoiled oil expeller, , a banana plant which can never yield , A cock which does not crow, and a girl who will not marry, which were all turned in to stone and asked him to set them right. With the help of water taken in the magical pot, the magical wand and Mathra Balan he did this. Nambi Rajan gave his daughter in marriage to him, as promised and gave several villages as dowry,
Manthra Balan was treated like God and lived in the palace. After his death, a temple was built for him just outside the palace. This God was called by people as Aranmanai Chandana Karuppu.
The idol of Chandana Karuppu is made of mud and painted every three years. Mud is brought from all villages over which he rules and a new statue installed in Thai month (January-February). This is the only festival in the temple. But before any festival in any of the temples in the 64 village he rules, special worship is offered to Chandana Karuppu.
On the day on which the new statue is installed, they kill a cock and cook it, this is mixed with Pongal. The Chamiyadi takes this in a plate. He buries the plate along with Pongal in a particular spot and comes out. After some times when he goes the plate along with the Pongal would have come up above the soil. He walks some distance from there makes it in to balls and throws them in the sky. It is believed that these balls do not again fall down on earth.
Chandana Karuppu fulfills all the prayers of his devotees. In return they give him sickles or chain of beads.