Kannathal (kannudaya Nayagi) of Nattarasan Kottai

Kannathal (kannudaya Nayagi)  of Nattarasan Kottai

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

Nattarasan Kottai  is  a small town in the  Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu , which is 51 km from  the city of Madhurai.   There is a famous temple of Kannudaya Nayagi   (also called as Kannathal)  , 2 km out of Nattarasan Kottai.

    Once upon a time the butter- milk merchants of Nattarasan Kottai   were not able to go beyond Pirandikulam which is    a near by village   in the forest , Some power upturned their butter milk pots,

The merchants wanted to approach the king to solve this  problem. That day Goddess Kannathal appeared in their dream and told them that she was lying buried  beneath  the mud in Pirandikulam, Under the orders of the king while the people were digging in the village   for finding out the idol, the spade  of a devotee  hit his  own eye and it started bleeding. When  in spite of it he continued,  he could recover the statue and as soon as   it was taken out , his eye injury was cured. Because of that they started calling her  “Kannathal(mother of the eye)”, The statue has eight hands  holds a small drum (udukkai ) and trident in her hand   and her left leg  is seen stamping an Asura called Mahisha. When the people(Cowherds)  were trying to transport the statue, they were  not able to take it  beyond a point and there it was consecrated facing  east   in a village called  Nayanmarkulam.  The Nattu Kottai Chettiars(Nagarathars)   were directed by the Goddess to offer  sacrifice   and Kaliyattam. .They assembled , made them  selves in to two   groups called Kallar and Kanakku Pillais and sacrificed 1499sheep.No blood came out of any of them. But when the 1500 th sheep was sacrificed , blood came out and the statue   started moving  and it halted in a place called  Virakandan Urani in the south of the Shiva temple and the statue faced north. Initially   the Pujas were performed by people  belonging to the Bangle sellers (Valai chetty  community)  and then the Goddess ordered through voice from the sky that she should be worshipped by people belonging to the Uvachiar   community (The poet Kambar belonged to this communityand his tomb is situated near this temple ),Till today only people belonging to this community are priests  in this  temple.

     A kaliyattam festival is celebrated in this temple once in every  twelve years, which coincides  in the year when Mahamaham is celebrated in Kumbakonam.This festival is celebrated   for 22 days.  There is an annual festival  lasting for 10 days in the month of Vaikasi(May-june). On 7^th day the idol is taken out in a golden chariot and on 8^th day  the deity is taken out in a silver chariot wearing a Nagarathar ornament called  “Kuzhutu Uru” . On 9^th day she is taken out in a wooden chariot. On the 10^th day a rabbit is sacrificed to please her.  On the pongal day  , pongal is offered to her by the Nagarathar community.

     The temple is open from  7.30 Am to 12,30 PM  and from 4 PM to 8.30 Pm. . The goddess is decorated in a golden dress during the first Friday of  every month and this dress  is contributed by Nagarathar  community in Singapore.

       People with eye problems, people wanting a child , people who are not able to get married worship at this temple and get their wishes fulfilled. After fulfilling their wishes, the devotees arrange for Abhishekam of the Amman and offer   her new cloths .Maa vilakku is also offered to the Goddess ,