The Story of Thirunaalaippovaar Nayanar

In the village of Adhanur, a man named Nandanar lived a life of devotion to Shiva. Though he belonged to a lower caste and faced social restrictions, his love for the god was pure and unwavering. His profession was to provide materials like hides for drums and strings for musical instruments used in temple worship, and he performed his work with great care and reverence.

Nandanar longed to visit the great temples, but his low social standing kept him from entering. He would stand outside the temple gates, singing and dancing in praise of Shiva. One day, he went to the temple in Tiruppunkur, but the statue of the sacred bull, Nandi, blocked his view of the deity. Shiva, seeing Nandanar's heartfelt devotion, commanded Nandi to move aside, allowing the Nayanar to see him. Overjoyed, Nandanar cleaned the temple grounds and dug a pond as a service to the god.

His greatest wish, however, was to see the cosmic dance of Shiva in the holy city of Chidambaram. But he couldn't bring himself to enter the sacred town because of his caste. Every day, he would put off his journey, telling himself, "I will go tomorrow." This is why he became known as Thirunaalaippovaar, which means "he who will go tomorrow."

Finally, Nandanar made the journey to Chidambaram but stopped at the outskirts of the town. He was afraid to enter, so he simply walked around the city's perimeter. That night, Shiva appeared to him in a dream and told him that to enter the temple, he would need to undergo a purifying fire ritual. The Lord also appeared to the priests of Chidambaram in their dreams, instructing them to prepare a sacred fire for Nandanar.

The next day, the priests created the fire. Nandanar, filled with joy, walked into the flames. He emerged reborn, with a new, radiant body, adorned with all the holy symbols of a sage. He was then welcomed by the priests and entered the temple, where he was immediately united with Shiva, disappearing into the cosmic dancer's form. His story is a powerful testament to the idea that true devotion can overcome any social barrier.