01The guest at the yagna
Somasimara Nayanar of Ambar longed for Shiva Himself to take the havis at his soma yagna, and asked Sundarar to pray for it. The Lord agreed. On the day He came in the guise of a low-born man with four dogs, which were the four Vedas, a drum on His shoulder and the Devi beside Him with a pot; the priests ran. Vinayakar let the Nayanar see who it was, and he and his wife gave the offering with their own hands, and the Lord showed His true form on Nandi. That Vinayakar is Achcham Theertha Vinayakar, remover of fear. Every Vaikasi on Ayilyam the yagna is re-enacted, and Thyagaraja comes from Tiruvarur for it; at Tiruvarur no abhishekam is done that day.
About 3 km from Poonthottam on the Tiruvarur–Mayiladuthurai road. The yagna kundam of the katha is by the road between Ambar and Makalam; come for Vaikasi Ayilyam (May–June).
