Thousands take part in ‘Maangani’ fest in Karaikal

The festival, celebrated in praise of ‘Karaikal Ammaiyar’, the only woman saint among the 63 saivaite Nayanmars, symbolises the event when the ammaiyar gave away a rare mango variety to a saivaite saint.

Legend has it that Karaikal Ammaiyar was a pious young woman named Punithavathi who lived in this town, now part of Union Territory of Puducherry, in 5th century AD. One day, Shiva disguised himself as a saint and appeared before her seeking food. She offered him food along with one mango which was kept for her husband. Later, when her husband asked for the mango, the woman was in a quandary and prayed, after which the fruit fell on her hands from nowhere. Baffled, her husband concluded she was a supernatural being and left her.

Punithavathi then prayed to Shiva to take away her beauty. Her flesh dried up and she became an old woman and an attendant of god. She then came to be known as Karaikal Ammaiyar and went on to sing several hymns, becoming one among the 63 Nayanmars.

The legend further goes that Punithavathi gave the mango to the saint on the full moon day in the Tamil month of ‘Aani’ (June-July) and symbolising it, devotees throw mangoes on the day during the celestial procession. The mangoes are considered a ‘prasadam’ (offering), symbolising Ammaiyar’s attainment of salvation through the medium of the fruit.

This year, the four-day festival commenced with Vigneshwara pooja on Sunday, followed by thirukalyanam (celestial wedding) between Punithavathi (Karaikal Ammaiyar’s original name) and Paramadattan on Monday, when the Karaikal Ammaiyar idol was taken in procession in ‘muthu pallakku’.

The main event of the festival, the Pitchandavar procession, was held on Tuesday.

A large number of devotees threw mangoes on the idol of Shiva (in Pichandavar incarnation), which was taken in procession along the streets. As a result, the streets of Karaikal were filled with mango juice.

Karaikal District Collector A Vikranth Raja and other top officials participated in the festival.

The police had made tight security arrangements. The festival concludes on Wednesday.