From Kanadukathan, a village in a region called Chettinad in South India, ruled by the regent Kings called the Nattukottai Nagarathars, Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar (30 September 1881 – 15 June 1948), an industrialist, banker, educationist and philanthropist from Tamil Nadu, the then King of Chettinad visited the Madurai Aadheenam’s 289th Pontiff ‘Rao Bahadur’ Srila Sri Swaminatha Sri Jnanasambanda Desika Paramacharya Swamigal. Raja Sir was also the founder of the famous Annamalai University in Chidambaram, South India.
Both of them participated in the Maheshwara Pooja and later, the Chettinad King asked the Sannidhanam, “Pray Sanndianam, what service must I offer to the Aadheenam? Please give your orders. I am waiting for Sannidhanam’s orders. Now I have brought a small Pathakanikkai (offering to be placed at the feet of the Sannidhanam). Please accept it and bless me.
The offering he had brought comprised:
- 100 sovereign gold coins in a silk bag placed on a heavy silver plate
- 2 silver vibhooti madalgal – sacred ash containers – inside another silk bag
- 1 silver Sengol (ruling staff) in a third silk bag
- 1 Spatika Lingam (Shivalinga made of crystal) in a fourth silk bag
The Mahasannidhanam on seeing all the items was extremely pleased and asked the Chettinad King, “When did you get all these items done?” The Chettinad King humbly replied, “I decided to have your darshan (divine audience) one month earlier. I ordered for artisans from Karaikudi (place in Chettinad) and made these silver items. You have told us to follow the Saiva tradition when we visit the Aadheenam, therefore I did all this.
Even after he left the Aadheenam, the Chettinad King surprised everybody in the Madurai Aadheenam the following day afternoon with further gifts:
Without informing the Sannidhanam (Pontiff), the King chose two of the Madurai Kingdom’s functionaries, and through them organised 200 sacks of rice, 2 sacks of Moong Dal, two sacks of coconut, and one big bag containing cashewnuts packed in imported packing covers, and ordered the functionaries to place the offerings at the feet of the Pontiff and get his blessings.
Such was the deep respect, affection and relationship the Chettinad Kings had with the Madurai Aadheenam.