Kodumbalur, the capital of the kingdom of Konadu, was a town with many ponds and tanks filled with cool water frequented by chirping birds. The kingdom was ruled by the renowned Idankazhiyar, who bowed to none other than the Tripurantaka, who used the Earth as the chariot to burn down the three cities into ash. With great love he offered whatever services were required for the devotees of Gangadhara Shiva. Shaiva discipline along with the Vedic knowledge made his kingdom a peaceful and pleasant place to live. The Lord who received the terrible poison from the Deva-s, begging to be rescued, was offered Agamic worship daily at all the temples in that kingdom.
Once a devotee of Ishwara, who practiced the austerity of feeding other devotees of the Lord, was unable to earn the required material for his holy service. Out of his fervour to serve the devotees, not realising what he was doing, went in the dark of the night to the royal granary to pick the required food material from the store. The royal servants found him stealing from the store, arrested him and presented him to the king. On enquiry, the devotee replied that he did that only to feed the servitors of the Lord. Nayanar, a marvellous devotee of Lord Shiva, the king of Konadu, not only set the devotee free but also thanked him for making him realise that a well-stocked royal granary was useless when a devotee struggled to get food! He, the king, who understood the real use of treasures, announced that along with the sacks of grains, the servitors of Shiva could take heaps of treasures. The royal treasury kept building up because of peace in the land and the king kept donating materials to the devotees in need. Reigning the kingdom with mercy and an understanding of the problems of his subjects, the king attained the feet of the Supreme. Let the understanding of the problems of devotees and the splendid service that Idankazhi Nayanar performed stay in the mind.
Guru Pooja: Aipassi / Krithikai or Tula / Krithika
Har Har Mahadev