Sudalai Madan of Seevalapperi

Sudalai Madan of Seevalapperi

By

P.R.Ramachander

Seevalapperi is a village which 1s 12 km from Palayamkottai of Tirunelveli district. The temple of Sudalai Madan is located there.
When Lord Subrahmanya left Kailasa and settled down in Pazhani, Goddess Parvathi wanted another child. Lord Shiva asked her to her near the Emerald pillar lighting an ever shining lamp. She started doing it. When the luster of the lamp reduced Lord Shiva pushed the wick little. Then three sparks of the light fell in the lap of Goddess Parvathi. They became a mass of flesh. Then she prayed Lord Brahma who made the piece of flesh in to a child. This child was called Chudalai. It grew up. But the child was voraciously hungry and started going at night to burial grounds and eat the corpses. One day Goddess Parvathi noticed the smell of the corpse from the baby. When she told this to Lord Shiva, he became very angry and asked her to send out the boy from Kailasa. She sent the boy along 21 measures (kottai) of cooked rice, a preparation using drum stick and sent the baby along with Vana Pechi.
The child reached Seevalaperi on the banks of Thamra parni. It liked the place. But he was very hungry. So one day the God approached Masanam a goat herd and asked him to give goat milk after milking a particular goat. Masanam told that, that particular goat was barren. When Sudalai Madan insisted, he milked and to his surprise got lots of milk, which Sudalai Madan drank. , He then drew a wheel on the toungue of Masanam. He also promised him that he would come and solve all the problems when called by Masanam.
Masanam went to Shiva giri and learned Religion as well as yoga and returned after several years. In the place where he saw Sudalai Madan, there was a Shiva Linga. People called Masanam as Vala Guru Sannasi and entrusted the worship of God to him. He and his clan started worshipping Sudalai Madan. Though he initially worshipped the Shiva lingam, later they made a statue of Sudalai Madan with four hands. Besides him they also consecrated Vana Pechi and Bramara Shakthi. Just outside the temple there is a Pudhia chami ( Sudalai Madan after giving shape by Lord Brahma) . Behind him is a stone without shape called Munda Sami. About half a km from this temple, there is a temple of Vala Guru Sannasi in the form of a linga. This is the place where he was buried after death. The Abhisheka to Sudalai Madan is done twice with water from the river Thamra Parni. When offerings are made to Sudalai Madan, a part is taken to Vala Guru Sannasi temple and offered to him.
Another strange custom in this temple is that the Prasada in this temple is the mud from the burial ground of the village which is 2 km from the temple.
People believe that this prasada is a cure for all and fulfiller of all wishes.
On Thai poosam day pongal is made and offered to Vala Guru Sannasi and later distributed.
On the last day of Panguni (march-april) there is a big festival in the Sudalai Madan temple. The dress for the God is brought from the Vala Guru Sannasi temple. It is believed that Vala Guru Sannasi worships the God that day. Next day the Gods wear the silver dresses and the Chamiyadi of Sudalai Madan goes in to a trance. He runs to the cremation ground of Brahmins searches for corpses and not getting it he runs back to the temple. There a black sheep is sacrificed. He drinks its blood. He also drinks the blood of other goats which are offered to the temple.
Then 21measuresof rice is cooked along with eggs , chicken etc and offered to the Gods. Then the Gods are worshiped. Sudalai Madan is also offered Cigars, alcohol etc.
People pray for their welfare and disperse.