Aadi Ther in Pathinettam Padi Karuppasamy Temple, Alagarkoil near Madurai. Aadi Ther festival in Sundararaja Perumal Temple in Alagarkoil.
The doors of the Pathinettam Padi Karuppanasamy temple in Alagarkoil near Madurai were closed with sandal and sandal was lit. Lamps were lit on all 18 steps.
On the full moon day of the month of Aadi, the doors of the 18th step Karuppanasamy temple were closed with sandal paste. As soon as the doors were opened and lamps were lit on all the 18 steps, the devotees chanted Govinda. Pathinettampadi Karuppusamy was the guardian deity and family deity of the Pandya kings who ruled Madurai and the people around Madurai.Lord Paramaswami graces as the presiding deity of the Azhagar temple also known as Tirumaliruncholai, Azhagar malai and Solaimalai. Lord Kallazhagar graces the devotees with His consorts Sridevi and Bhoodevi as procession deity. Pathinettampadi Karuppannasamy is guarding this Azhagarai and the hill. He has no form.
Karuppannasamy looks majestic with a closed door. Pot smeared with sandalwood and a beautiful garland adorning the door. There is a huge sickle. The people of this area have a lot of fear and devotion for Karuppannasamy as he will not leave unpunished those who commit injustice. It is believed that worshipping Lord Karuppannasamy, fondly called Pathinettampadiyan, will bring fulfillment of wishes. It is a long-standing belief that the temple ornaments are protected by the guardian deity Karuppusamy himself.
Every day, when the Azhagarmalai temple is locked, the key of the door is kept in front of Karuppusamy. The next morning, the ritual of getting the key in front of Karuppusamy and opening the temple door is going on till today.
When he leaves for Madurai in a golden palanquin to enter the Vaigai river for the Chithirai festival, the gold ornaments and ornaments worn by Azhagar are counted and the list is read out before Karuppannasamy. Similarly, after returning to the temple from Madurai, the jewels are checked and the list is read out before Karuppannasamy.
People worship Karuppanasamy as their family deity who guards Kallazhagar. It is the unshakable belief of the people that if they appeal to Karuppasamy, justice will definitely be done. It is in that belief that many cases are being settled before him. How Karuppannasamy came here as a guardian deity is an interesting story. A king who was ruling Kerala came to Pandya Nadu. When he came to Tirumaliruncholai, the divine country, he was mesmerized by the beauty of Kallazhagar present there. The king who planned to kidnap Azhagar and keep him in his kingdom selected 18 magicians who were well versed in magic and tricks and sent them to Pandya Nadu.
He ordered Azhagar to be picked up. The eighteen men got ready to come to Azhagarmalai to carry out the king’s order. Black, the guardian deity of the Malayalam nation, also rode a white horse and went ahead of eighteen people. The magicians came to Azhagarmalai after the guardian deity.
He ordered Azhagar to be picked up. The eighteen men got ready to come to Azhagarmalai to carry out the king’s order. Black, the guardian deity of the Malayalam nation, also rode a white horse and went ahead of eighteen people. The magicians came to Azhagarmalai after the guardian deity. On reaching Azhagar hill, the guardian deity Karuppannasamy was mesmerized by the beauty of Azhagar and stood mesmerized. The 18 magicians forgot the guardian deity who had accompanied them and went to the sanctum sanctorum with the intention of carrying away the gold ornaments and Azhagar. Seeing their evil intentions, a devotee told the people in the village and all the people gathered there. The magicians killed all 18 people, made eighteen steps in front of the great tower and buried them one by one.
Kallazhagar appeared before Karuppusamy who was standing unconscious as a guard for the magicians and ordered him to guard the Azhagar hill and himself. It is believed that Karuppusamy stayed in Azhagar Malai and is guarding it till date. He came with 18 people and is standing on the 18 steps as a guardian deity.
One day, Karuppusamy appeared in the dream of the Pattar of the temple and requested him to offer to him the prasadam made during the Artha Jama Pooja for Azhagar. The doors of Karuppusamy temple are opened only on Aadi Poornima day every year. On the occasion of Aadi Pournami, the doors of the Pathinettam Padi Karuppanasamy temple were closed on Saturday. The doors of the Karuppanasamy temple were opened at 6 pm with auspicious music.
As soon as the doors of the temple were opened, the devotees gathered there chanting Govinda. Flowers, lemons, coconuts and fruits were lined up on all the eighteen steps inside the Rajagopuram. Lamps were lit on all the 18 steps. The doors opened for only about 5 minutes and then closed. Karuppusamy, who stood as a guardian deity in the Azhagar temple, became the guardian deity of the Pandya kings who ruled Madurai and the people around Madurai. It is noteworthy that he has also been a deity.
“PADINETTAM PADIYAANE SARANAM SARANAM”
WRITTEN BY
R. HARISHANKAR