Nallampatti Kunjayi and Kannadachi amman temple.

Nallampatti  Kunjayi   and Kannadachi amman temple.

Compiled by 

P.R.Ramachander

     Nallampatti   is a village which is 5 km from the Dindugal town of Tamil Nadu . There is a peculiar temple there   with two village Goddesses . The story of these goddesses   goes like this.

  Kunjayi  Amman: There was a landlord in Chinnakaran Patti who was   greatly troubled by evil spirits    sent by his enemies. He learnt magic from a famous magician and Attracted Karuppachami who was an expert in driving away such evil spirits  and after praying that God , he sent him to attack his enemies and they were all destroyed. Then that Land  Lord kept  Karuppachami in a mud pot  , kept ist in a box made of palm leaf and  floated it in a river, When that box was floating suddenly a great flood came in that river. A girl who was taking bath with her elder brother was swept away   by the flood  . And that girl went on shouting  Anna(elder brother) and asked him to help her  .Karuppachami who was in the pot heard her appeal and saved her . Then the girl  addressed Karupachami as Anna (elder brother) with great affection. Karuppachami accepted her  as her   younger sister. She was called Kunjayi Amman  . A practice of building Temple of Kunjayi Amman along  with or without  Karuppachami   exists  in these  parts

Kannadachi Amman belonged to a village called  Thayanoor. This village was once surrounded by flood  water. The people of the village who were scared  of the raising   water started vacating it. On their way, they saw a  crying girl child. They did not bother but went  ahead.  However a man called Pandaram   took the girl along with him to a safe place  . After a few days due to serious illness   and  when Pandaram was about to die he entrusted the    girl to his sons and requested them to look after   her. AS per the practice of the caste  Pandaram was   cremated. That night the girl child left the house without any one noticing her. Her brothers searched for her and at last  found her head lying on the ashes of their father  in the cremation ground. When everybody was standing perplexed the  girl’s head spoke  and told if her eldest brother   lights up a stick , she would vanish. She also told them if she is worshipped along with Kunjayi Amman and Karuppachami  , she would protect the villager. Since the girl  closed the eyes  of her brothers and vanished  , she was named as  Kannadachi Amman.

   IN the temple at Nalampatti the  gate of the temple faces west. As soon as you  enter the temple, on the left side you would see Madhurai Veeran and Karuppanachami majestically   sitting on a horse, After that   there are  small temples  of Madhurai Veeran , Bommi  , Vellayammal , Seven  virgins   and Nagamman. On the outer   corridor  of the temple you would find  Malayala  Karupannachami  , Paramasivan  , Parvathi   and Durga, There is also a huge Navagraha  Ganesa  on whose body the  nine  planets are carved.. It is believed that that Worshipping that Ganesa   would   remove all problems    due   to planets..If  a coconut garland is offered to him,  it is  believed that marriage would be settled soon..Next to is the Sannidhi of  Lord Srinivasa Outside the sanctum sanctorum  a huge lion’s statue is there  and near the gate , there are two Lady guards. In side on the same platform Kunjayi Amman and Kannadachi Amman are seen sitting.

     Kunjayi Amman holds a  hand drum(udukkai) in one hand and the other hand she keeps on her  thigh. Kannadachi Amman is seen holding a    sugarcane.

    On 17, 18, and 19 ogf Aadi month(July-august)   there  is a festival for Karupannachami . Both Goddesses would be decorated with a Karagam at that time.  On 17^th , Karupannachami is worshipped by taking Milk pot and there is a procession  on the main streets  of the town. One priest who holds a whip  goes in front of the procession.  People who believe they are being troubled by evil; spirits , go and appeal to him. He   hits them with his whip and it  is believed that   the evil spirits  go away. On New moon and fill moon days special worship to the  Goddess  is conducted . The temple tree is a banyan tree. The temple  is open from 6 AM to 9 Pm and is about 5 km from the  Dindugal   main bus stand.

Cheruppalur Mutharamman temple

Cheruppalur  Mutharamman temple

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

  Cheruppalur is a small village in Kanyakumari district.  It seems once upon a time this place was filled with Madhuca  (Iluppai tree) trees.Once THumburan Sami  and Bhodathan Sami (two village Gods) were walking by that road To Cheru[[alur and took rest below the  Iluppai trees. At the time there was a great epidemic in Cheruppalur and people were   dying like flies, They all went to a Mutharamman temple in a place called Yeethan Kadu and prayer her as well as the God(devan)  there to save them., The goddess Mutharama and Devan agreed and while they were coming to   to Cheruppalur , they happened to    see THamburan Sami    and Bhodathan sami , and they decided  to stay there  itself and then they protected   the people from the great epidemic.The grateful people   built a temple for Mutharamman  as well as Devan..When the regular   worship was being done there , the priest noticed the growth of an anthill there..Scared that it may spoil the   statue of the Goddess , he broke   that anthill..Next day another   ant hill grew up and he felt something is there  behind it and summoned the astrologer, who told them that They have to install   a  Ganesa statue at the place where   the   anthill appeared.

   Another time , there was an epidemic of  Smallpox in that village,. All villager appealed to Mutharamman.  On the 8^th day small pox disappeared  from the village  and on the same day  , a well in the temple crashed   and closed itself. When  astrologers were called that   the small pox affecting the village was put in the well   and it has disappeared for ever . It was also seen that they could dig another well.

   In the sanctum sanctorum of the temple are  Mutharamman and the devan  and outside   separate small temples have been built for  Ganesa, THampuran Swami  , Bhothathan  , Cholla Madan and Nagaraja. In the Panguni (March-April) month  every year there is a five day festival in the temple. On the fifth day, Mutharamman and DEvan come out of the temple and go round the village  If the Amman is worshipped for seven weeks  , umnmarried people would   get   married and also childless couple would get children.People also believe that   all diseases get cured by praying to Amman. The temple is open from 6 Am-9 AM in the morning   and 5 PM   to 8 PM in the evening.The temple  is ion the road connecting Marthandam and Pechiparai  , about 9 km away from Marthandam of Kanyakumari district.

Thimmarayan samuthiram Suyambu Nagamani Devi temple

Thimmarayan samuthiram  Suyambu  Nagamani  Devi temple

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

        Thimmarayan Samuthiram  is on the road from Thiruvanaikkaval temple   and Kallanai in the  TRichinopoly town. On the road while proceeding from THiruvanaikkaval , on the left side    you would be able to see   a 12 feet  ant hill.This ant hill is the sanctum sanctorum of the temple  , which is 400   years old.Nearby there are   steps going down and if you get down   there is a pretty temple there. It seems initially , only  a Karuvela tree  near that anthill   was worshipped as Nagamma. And over time that  ant hill itself became the   sanctum sanctorum of the  Nagamma idol. This idol has a lady goddess face on the top portion   and the bottom  is the usual Shivalingam. Once decorated  it only looks like the statue of the Goddess. This  idol faces north and on both sides   there are guardian goddesses, Next to idol of Nagamma in front of the anthill below the Karuvela Maram are the statue  of Kali and outside the anthill is the statue  of Angala  Parameshwari.People say that   several  serpents live in the anthill and once in a while come out.In the front of the temple , there adols of Kali   and Pechiyamman. In the middle   there is a Soola and statue of a lion. On the  outer Prakara   of the temple are Mahalinga Sastha, KOmbareswarar, Kamakshi Amman, Kalinga Narthanar , Seven mothers, Mahalakshmi   and Anjaneya.

   Angala Parameshwari  , Samayapurathu Bhagawathi , Karuppu Chami, Muneeswarar and Madhuraiveeran  are inside the compound of the temple and are   considered as guardian gods.. There is gooseberry (Nelli) tree  in the temple  and below it  are  Bhairava , Sudalai Madan   and Sambuga moorthi.. The temple tree is a neem tree and possibly to indicate   that the temple is  the Temple of three goddesses, It has split in to three  branches. The Hastha star  and Sashti thidhi  in Thai  month(January-February)  is considered as  the founding day of the temple and is celebrated  as a festival..The mud from the anthill   in the temple is considered to have medicinal properties and the Prasada of the temple , is this mud mixed in water used for anointing the Goddess. Full moon day   of every month is also   celebrated as  a  festival . The poojas and anointing of the Gods are done before 8.30 Am    and the temple opens to devotees only after that . On Sundays in Rahu Kala the Goddess  is anointed with milk. Devotees believe that by participating  in the milk  Anointing , all  doshas would go away , Marriage problems would be solved and  Son would be born.

 Going round the temple three times and tolling the temple bell three times is supposed to fulfill our wishes,. The temple  is open between 8.30 Am to  7 PM..Thimmaraya Samuthiram is situated 4 km away   from Thiruvanaikkaval on the Kallanai road.

Kuisai Mutharamman temple of Kulashekarapattinam

Kuisai  Mutharamman temple  of Kulashekarapattinam

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

      Kulashekara  pattinam  is located   near THiruchendhur of Tamil Nadu , and is 55 km from THoothukudi. It seems there was a Swyambhu idol  of Lord  Shiva in the village   and the Goddess appeared in the  dream of    a worker  (king Kulashekara?)   and requested him  to get her an idol of her made   through the  priest who was coming from Kulisai  and she also  appeared in the dream of the priest  and instructed   him    , how she wants her idol made. The idol was installed along with the Swayambu Shiva Linga (jnanamoortheswarar) facing north. But though it is a Shiva temple  maximum importance is given to Goddess Mutharamman only   .Navarathri is celebrated   in a great manner in this temple.People believe inaugurating any venture during the festival with the blessings   of the Goddess   would lead it to great success .Lakhs   of People assemble in the temple for attending the festival,. Some people dress up like kali after  observing  very strict penance for 41 days  during Navarathri and worship the Goddess .  They also can dress up like  any other Gods they wish depending on what for they are praying . Rahu dosham is removed by dressing as Durgai  , financial status improves   if they dress up as Viswakarmeshwarar  , Wealth accumulates if they dress up  like Parvathi, Long life if they dress up as Muruga  , sickness cured if they dress up like Krishna  , Get power   if they dress up as Mahishasura mardini  ,  Get salvation by dressing up as Nataraja    and  Education improves if they dress up  as Goddess  Saraswathi. Apart from this an Adi Kodai festival for three days   and the Chithirai festival is also celebrated.

  The temple is open    from 6.30 Am to 1 Pm   and 4 PM to 9 PM. On ordinary days   and 5 AM   to 9 PM on festival days.