Kunkulia Kalaya Nayanar. குங்குலியக் கலய நாயனார்.Tamil Speech S.V.Ramani.

Kunkulia Kalaya Nayanar. குங்குலியக் கலய நாயனார்.Tamil Speech S.V.Ramani.


Kunkulia Kalaya Nayanar was known, because he was
carrying always large pots of "kunkuiya" red incense, which is
used for Doopa, like Dasangam. He was born in a pious Brahmin
family, in Kadvaur, a place near Mayiladuthurai, in Tamil Nadu.


Kunkuliya Kalaya Nayanar was a great Siva devotee and spent all
his earnings for buying the incense and burning it regularly in Siva
temple. Soon he became poor, because he was spending all his


wealth for this noble act and also for feeding the poor people everyday
in his house. One day he had no money and his faithful wife, who had
nothing to cook food at home, gave her gold "mangala sutram" for
buying food items. When Nayanar went to the bazaar, he found some
red incense being sold by a trader from overseas.


He liked it and with the money obtained after pledging the gold, he bought the
incense and went to the temple and stacked the bags inside the temple, for dhoopa
at the evening arti. He returned home empty handed. His wife expressed
disappointment, but did not express any anger. Suddenly the couple
heard some noise at the back yard and when they went, they found
bags of gold coins, being dropped from the sky in the backyard. They
became very happy at the kindness of Siva and continued their life with
regular incense burning in the Kadavur temple.


Once, in the Siva temple of Tiru Panandal, a nearby town, news spread
that in order to accept the garland from a little pious girl, Siva bent and
took the garland and so the Siva Linga appeared leaning without being
erect. The King ordered a rope to be tied and several soldiers pulled the
rope, to straighten the Siva Linga, without any success. They called


Kunkulia Kalaya Nayanar for finding a way out. He said that Siva
would bend only for the ardent devotees and not for power.
Hence,he tied the rope and pulled it by connecting it to his hairs. The devotee
became red in his face, with his hairs stretched, and he was bleeding
in the head. He did not stop. His wife watching the scene cried inconsolably.
Soon, the Siva Linga became erect and the devotee fell down in pain.


Lord Siva appeared before him and said: "We shall stoop only to the devotees
and not for anyone else. He took Kunkulia Kalaya Nayanar and his wife to his Abode.


OM Namasivayaa! OM Namasivayaa!!