KARAIKAL: The streets of Karaikal turned yellow as devotees threw mangoes on the idol of Lord Shiva (in Pichandavar incarnation)which was taken in a procession, as part of the ‘Mangani Festival’ at Karaikal Ammaiyar temple, on Thursday.
Special pujas took place on Thursday at 3 am. A few hours later, Pitchandavar procession was also held. The festival symbolises the event when ‘Karaikal Ammaiyar’, the only woman saint among the 63 Nayanmars, gave away a rare variety of mango to a Saivaite saint.The fest has an interesting legend behind it. Karaikal Ammaiyar whose original name was Punithavathi was the wife of a merchant at Karaikal named Paramadattan. One day, he sent home two mangoes of a rare variety. Soon after, a devotee of Shiva arrived at her house as a mendicant and she gave him one of them. At noon, her husband returned and had his meal with the other mango. She was perplexed when he asked for the second mango as she had already given it to the mendicant. Immediately, she offered fervent prayers to God after which a mango appeared in her hands. When she served it to her husband he was baffled and concluded that his wife was a supernatural being and deserted her. Punitavathi prayed to Lord Shiva to take away her beauty following which her flesh dried up and became an attendant of Lord Shiva. She sang several sacred hymns and became one among the 63 Nayanmars.
It is considered that the Ammaiyar gave the mango to the Saivaite saint on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Aani. So every year on the full moon day in Aani, mangoes are strewn on the Karaikal streets by devotees. The belief is that the mangoes would reach Lord Shiva directly.