Idangazhi Nayanar Temple,
Kodumbalur – Legends
Idangazhi Nayanar was
a Nayanar saint, venerated in the Hindu sect of Shaivism. He
is generally counted as the fifty fourth in the list of 63 Nayanars. Idangazhi
was born and lived in Kodumbalur, currently in Pudukottai District of Tamil
Nadu, India. The life of Idangazhi is described in the Periya
Puranam by Sekkizhar (12th century CE), which is a
hagiography of the 63 Nayanars. Idangazhi is described as the ancestor of the
Chola King Aditya I (c. 871 – c. 907 CE) in the Periya Puranam.
Idangazhi was the chieftain of the kingdom of Konadu
(which was around present day Pudukkottai district), whose capital was
Kodumbalur. He was a staunch devotee of the god Shiva, the patron god of
Shaivism. He is said to have been descended from the Yadavas of Dwarka,
who migrated to South India with the sage Agastya. He is sometimes
also described to be part of the Kalabhara dynasty, flourished in
the Kalabhara interregnum, a period between 3rd and the 7th
century CE.
He lived and governed by Shaiva ways and made
arrangements for worship of Shiva in temples as per the
Shaiva Agama scriptures. There was another devotee of Shiva in
Konadu. He had taken the vow of serving and feeding Shiva's devotees. However,
once he became poor over time and could not get food to feed a devotee of
Shiva. To complete his vow, he entered the royal granaries to steal rice, but
was caught red handed and arrested by the guards. The arrested devotee was
presented to Idangazhi, who understood the rationale of the intended burglary.
He pardoned the devotee and let him free. He realized
the futility of a full go down when devotees of Shiva were going hungry.
Idangazhi made announcements throughout the kingdom that devotees of Shiva can
come and take away not only rice from the granary, but also other riches from
the treasury, as much as they wanted. Idangazhi was instrumental in the spread
of Shaivism and thus gained the grace of Shiva. Idangazhi Nayanar is specially
worshipped in the Tamil month of Aippasi, when the moon enters
the Krittika Nakshatra (lunar
mansion).
