Atputhi Adigal

Apputhi Adigal, also spelt as Apputhi Adikal, Atputhi Adigal, Apputi Adigal, Appoodi Adikal, Appoothi Adikal and Appudhi Adigal and known as Appuddi Nayanar, was a Nayanar saint, venerated in the Hindu sect of Shaivism. He is generally counted as the twenty-fifth in the list of 63 Nayanars. He is described as a contemporary of Appar or Thirunavukkarasar (first half of the 7th century CE), one of the most prominent Nayanars.

Life The life of Apputhi Adigal is described in the Tamil Periya Puranam by Sekkizhar (12th century), which is a hagiography of the 63 Nayanars. He was a contemporary of Appar.

Apputhi Adigal was born in the village of Thingalur, Chola kingdom. Presently in the Thanjavur district, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the village is famous for its Kailasanthar Temple dedicated to Shiva, the patron god of Shaivism. Apputhi Adigal belonged to Brahmin caste. His family had the job of reciting the Vedic scriptures. He was a staunch devotee of Shiva and a follower of Appar, who he regarded as his guru even though he has ever met Appar. He named his sons, cows and everything else in his house "Tirunavukkarasu", after Appar (Thirunavukkarasar). He worshipped Appar and erected rest-houses and water-sheds and dug ponds for devotees of Shiva and named them after Appar.

Once, while Appar decided to close-by Shiva temples after worshipping in the Shiva temple at Thirupuvanam and arrived at Thingalur. Thirsty, he went to a water-shed and saw his own name "Thirunavukkarasar", written all over the place. Upon enquiry, fellow pilgrims informed him that it was the word of Apputhi Adigal. Appar has praised Apputhi Adigal in a hymn, composed at Thirupuvanam.

Images of Apputhi Adigal and his family are worshipped in the Kailasanathar Temple in his native village Thingalur.

Apputhi Adigal is worshipped in the Tamil month of Thai, when the moon enters the Shatabhisha nakshatra (lunar mansion). He is depicted with a shaved head and folded hands (see Anjali mudra). He receives collective worship as part of the 63 Nayanars. Their icons and brief accounts of his deeds are found in many Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. Their images are taken out in procession in festivals.