Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple — Attraction in Karaikal

storytrails logo Every sight has a story to tell Menu Search for: SEARCH BECOME A MEMBER CULTURE, HISTORY, PEOPLE, RELIGIONS The Story of Karaikal Ammaiyar JUNE 16, 2023 The 63 Nayanmars – poet-saints devoted to Shiva – were among the earliest ambassadors of the Bhakti movement. Karaikal Ammaiyar was one of the three women who were part of the group. Once a great beauty, she is usually depicted as a ‘ghoul’, apparently a form she begged to be blessed with! This is her story. Karaikal Ammaiyar Sculpture of Karaikal Ammaiyar This striking exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York is a 13th -century Chola bronze from India, depicting a revered poet-saint named Karaikal Ammaiyar. She belonged to a group of Saivite (Shiva-worshipping) saints classified as the ‘Nayanmars’. There were 63 of them, all part of the Bhakti Movement school of Hinduism. Before we tell her story, a quick word about the Bhakti Movement –

Nayanmars Row of Nayanmars at Airavateswara temple, Darasuram Hinduism has always been the majority religion of India. But between the 3rd century BCE and 6th century CE, it faced stiff competition from Jainism and Buddhism. However, by the 7th century, Hinduism underwent a renaissance through the Bhakti Movement and attracted a huge following. The movement had no hierarchical structure but propagated a broad philosophy through several independent religious teachers. The common underlying message was simple: ‘surrender absolutely to God, and He will take care of everything’. The Nayanmars were some of the earliest ambassadors of the movement. Karaikal Ammaiyar was one of them.

Punithavathi was the daughter of a rich merchant from Karaikal in the Chola kingdom, who married another rich merchant named Paramadatta. She was stunningly beautiful and theirs was a loving relationship. Early one morning, Paramadatta went to the market, where an acquaintance (in some versions, his father-in-law) offered him a gift of two delicious-looking mangoes. Paramadatta promptly sent them home with a message that Punithavathi could serve them after lunch. Shortly thereafter, a hungry Saivite Monk appeared at Punithavathi’s doorstep. Lunch was not cooked yet, so Punithavathi, a staunch devotee of Shiva, gave him one of the mangoes and sent him...

distance of 1.5 km from Karaikal Railway Station, Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple is a Hindu temple situated in Barathiar Street in the center of Karaikal Town.

The temple was constructed by Malaiperumal Pillai in 1929. The main goddess is Punithavathi, also known as Karaikal Ammaiyar, the only woman out of the sixty three Nayanmars. This temple is known for the huge idol of the lady saint and there is also a sanctum for Vinayaka inside this temple.

According to history, a lady named Punithavathi lived in Karaikal in 5th century AD. She married a merchant named Paramadatta and performed spiritual Pujas to Lord Siva. One day Lord Shiva sent two mangoes to Paramadatta through a devotee and he sent it home. Lord Siva disguised himself as a Saint and appeared before her for taking food in the house of Punithavathi. She offered food along with mangoes kept for her husband to the Saint. When the food was supplied to her husband he demanded the mangoes that he had given to her. She prayed Lord Shiva and the mangoes reappeared. When her husband inquired about this, she explained the incident to her husband who in turn praised her devotional attitude.

Punithavathiar prayed to Shiva to grant her old age and shed her youthfulness. The lord accepted her prayers and the lady established her abode in the wild jungle of Alangadu, also known as Forest of Banyan Trees.

The Mangani Tirunal festival (the festival of the mango fruit) is observed in the Tamil month of Aani (June-July) on the full moon day. During this festival Lord Shiva comes in procession as Bikshadana with his...

Located in Karaikal and 10 minutes walkable distance from the Karaikal bus stop. From railway station 20 minutes walkable distance. Historic story of Karaikal Ammaiyar. Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple is breathtakingly beautiful! The stunning architecture, intricate carvings, and vibrant colors make it a must-visit. The spiritual energy is palpable, and the history is fascinating. A truly divine experience for devotees and art lovers alike.

Karaikkal Ammaiyar’s birth name was known as Punitavati and she was married to a wealthy merchant. One day, her husband had brought two mangoes for his afternoon meal.

Before that, a Siva devotee had come asking for alms, and she had given him one mango. After lunch, her husband had eaten one mango and wanted the other one. She prayed to Lord Siva for another mango, and was blessed with one.

When she gave this mango to her husband, he found it to be much sweeter than the previous one, and was suspicious of her. So, he asked where she got this mango, and she told him the truth.

He couldn’t believe it and asked her to give him another mango, but when the mango appeared again, he was petrified and ran away from her. Even today, in Karaikkal, they celebrate her marriage and devotion to Siva by hosting a mango...