Madurai Kali Amman Temple, Thottiyam – Legends
Kannagi:
This
goddess is considered as Kannagi or (Kannaki), a legendary Tamil woman, is the
central character of the South Indian epic Silapathikaram. Legend has it that
Kannagi took revenge on the king of Madurai, for a mistaken death penalty
imposed on her husband Kovalan, by cursing the city with disaster and then came
to Thottiyam. Locals consider her to be a very powerful and kind goddess and people from various districts come to offer
their prayers to her.
Madurai Kaliyamman came here admiring Chinnan Parai
Music:
About
500 years back King Esanakarayar ruled this area. Chinnan, a servant who worked
in his stable, wants to go to Kali Festival at Madurai. He got permission from
the King and went to Madurai with his “Parai”, a musical drum and stayed at his
brother-in-law’s house. Next day he went to Kali temple and began to play
“Parai” rhythmically. Goddess Kali, admired by the music of Chinnan, followed
him back to Thottiyam and seated under the ‘Vanni’ tree amidst bushes. The cows
from Esanakarayan Patti which were grazing came to the Goddess and showered the
Goddess with milk.
The
local people who did not know about this were surprised when they did not get
milk when they milked the cows. So, they petitioned to the king that someone in
the bushes had milked their cows. The king went to the bushes with his armed
troops to find the thief. The king thrusted his sword into the bush. After some
time, the king was astonished when he saw blood oozing out of the bushes. The
Goddess Madura Kali Amman appeared before him.
Even
today in the temple’s Karpagraha, the Goddess’ body has a wound in it. The king
requested the Goddess to forgive him and asked her the reason why she was
sitting in the bushes and humbly asked her what she wanted. The Goddess pointed
out to one of the cows in the king’s stables and said that wherever the cow
went around and returned, all those lands belonged to the Goddess and said that
it would be her perimeter boundary.
The cow
went around 18 village hamlets and returned to the bushes. The Goddess said
that all the people belonging to the 18 villages were her children and ordered
the king to build a beautiful temple to enable the people to worship her and
thereby receive her blessings. So, saying, the Goddess disappeared. So, the
king followed the orders of the Goddess and built the Thottiyam Madurai Kali
Amman Temple.
