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.