SWAMI SADAI UDAYAR TEMPLE-Kalidaikurichi

The temple of Sri Porsadyachi and Sri Sadaiyudayar Sastha is situated among paddy fields surrounded by hills on the western Ghats. Green fields on three sides and a  mountains in the distance and a wonderful breeze almost all the time. A calm and quiet temple with very few visitors. .It is not a temple built according to Agama Sasthras.There is no flag ma or prakarams.In Thai Velli and Panguni Uttiram utsavam is performed or festival celebratedand it has a moving tale behind its origin.

This Temple is My Mother-in-law's maternal family deity. She always told us the story of this temple. In this temple ladies's  are not allowed to go and worship. So I didn't visit this temple yet.My husband went to this temple last week and performed worship after so long years and told me this story once again. Some hundreds of years ago, one pregnant woman from Kalakkad (village in Tirunelveli Dist) was coming with her father to Ambasamudram (town near Tirunelveli) for her delivery. On the way when she crosses the place called Papankulam near Kallidaikuruchi, it was almost dark, and she got terrible delivery pain. Both of them don't know what to do and there was nobody near to help them. The father desperately prayed to Sastha and looked around for help.Finding a hut nearby he apporoached it hoping to find a woman.There was none and he returned.

But to his relief he found that his daughter had delivered a boy and a dark skinned woman had played midwife.The girl did not know the woman’s identity. Lord Sastha in the form of Nursing Lady attended her to have a safe delivery.. Sure that it was none other than Sashta who appeared as a Harijan woman to save his daughter’s life, the Brahmin profusely thanked Him and offered whatver he had with him-raw rice and coconut that the girl was taking home from her husband’s place.He heard a voice that it was the Deity ,Sri Sadaiyudayar of the temple nearby ,that helped the girl and that she would give birth to eight sons all of whom would serve the Lord of that Temple.The oracle came true and the tribe ,known as “ettu pillai kootathar”,became staunch devotees of the Lord.

 

Sri Sastha of the temple is seen as an endearing child,in a standing posture. Sri Sadaiudaiyar is Bala jadathari ( a small boy with matted hairlocks)Sastha with a dhandam in his hands. If you would watch the photo closely, he is with Sri RajaRajeswari (Ponnunchadachi- golden haired goddess) and Icha and Kriya Sakthi (BadraKali). A temple was built in that place with the other deities like Chinna Madan, Periya Madan and Nalla Madan.Sadavudayar had assured that the decedents of the family of that woman should worship Him and he will take care of every one in the family.

Interestingly, the elephant of Sastha is in front of the Ganapathy in the templeThe members of the family, spread across the country visit the temple now and then to offer worship.In the olden days Sri Sastha,SriRajaRajeswari and the other deities were housed in thatched sheds.Hence the temple ,even after its development is referred as “kudusai”. The offering continues to be raw rice and jaggery/vellam kapparisi cooked food is not allowed .Only a learned priest from the family does the Puja-once in a day and that in the morning .Devotees do not visit the temple after 5 p.m. All the family members and the people from 7 villages including Kalakkad, Ambasamudram, Kallidaikuruchi ,Ambur, Alwarkurchi will participate in the pooja. This pooja will be performed in all Thai Fridays and in the daytime of all days. My husband and his brothers visit this temple once in a year and perform abhishekam & Pooja.