HISTORY OF SRI PORCHADAICHI, SRI SADAIUDAYAR TEMPLE
The Temple of Sri Porchadaichi and Sri Sadaiudayar Sastha is situated amidst the paddy fields surrounded by hills on the old Koprathope Road that connects Kalakkadu, Papanasam and Kizha Ambur villages skirting the Western Ghats. It is not a temple built according to the Agama sastras. There is no flag mast or prakarams. No utsavam is performed or festivals celebrated. And it has a moving tale behind its origin.
A brahmin of Kizha Ambur for Kalakad was accompanying his pregnant daughter home for delivery.Dusk fell as they approached Pappankulam, it started drizzling and so did the girl's labour pain. The father desperately prayed to Sastha and looked around for help. Finding a hut nearby, he approached it hoping to find a woman. there was none and he returned crestfallen. But to his delight and relief he found that his daughter had delivered a boy and dark skinned woman had played midwife. The girl did not known the woman's identity.
Sure that it was none other than Sastha who had appeared as a harijan woman to save his daughter's life, the brahmin profusely thanked Him and offered whatever he had with him raw rice and coconut that the girl was taking home from her husband's place. He heared a voice that said that it was the deity, Sri Sadaiudayar of the temple located nearby, that had 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 and matrilineal offsprings became staunch devotees of the Lord.
Sri Sastha of the temple is seen as an endearing child, in a standing posture. The members of the family, spread across the country, visit the temple now and then to offer worship. In the olden days Sri Sastha, Sri Raja Rajeshwari and the otherdeities were housed in thatched sheds. Hence the temple, even after its be raw rice and coconut (kapparisi). Cooked food is not allowed. Only a learned priest from the family does the pooja once in a day and that too in the morning. Devotees do not visit the temple after 5 p.m. During thai all the members of the family (adimai as they are reffered to) gather and offer worship in the night on all Fridays. ( An interesting custom is being followed since long ladies at any age are not permitted to visit the temple at any time ) Before the festiveties, the harijans in the neighbourhood are invited to Ambur and showered with gifts.
Ladies and Swamy Sadaiudayar and Goddess Porchadaichi
It's a tradition that women folks of brahmin adimais are not permitted to visit, participate,in the Temple day or night poojas. Harijans dynasty are exclusively permitted as god himself took the form of a harijan women and still that descendants of the particular clan of the community are reverently treated by Ettupillai Kootathar and Pen Vazhikkani brahmin devotees.
There is a traditional custom in vogue to compensate the women's exclusion that is Paalum Pazham Pooja
This pooja is being performed as individual prarthana at their houses. A pictured screen of the deities are taken by Poojari is and Komurthar. They go to the houses where prarthana's are to be fulfilled and kuthuvilakku are taken. Komurthar does sangalpam and all the needed kuthuvilakkus are placed for pooja and Swamy Sadaiudayar and Porchadaichi are being invoked in the vilakkus along with other deities like Bhairavas and Devas.
Devi Parayanam is part of the pooja. Women folk are invited and attend the poojas and also have the rare privilege of cooking Payasam as neivedyam in contrast at the temple whereonly the uncooked raw rice is the neivedyam. Here fruits, panagam etc, are placed as neivedyam. The pooja concludes with a Rahasya Pooja. The entire pooja is the replica of friday poojas at the temple.
So women folk eagerly participate in the functions on every panguni uthiram day at Kizha Ambur where Sadaiudayar's own adobe is situated and precious thiru aparanam are kept.
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