01Appudi Adigal’s village
The Periya Puranam of Sekkizhar tells of Appudi Adigal of Thingalur, a Brahmin who revered Appar so much that he named his sons, his wells and his water-sheds after him. When Appar at last came to the village, Appudi’s eldest son went to cut a plantain leaf for the meal and was bitten by a snake. The family hid the body so the guest would not go unfed. Appar learned the truth, carried the boy to the temple and sang a padigam to Kailasanathar, and the boy rose. Appudi Adigal is counted among the sixty-three Nayanars.
02The Moon’s shrine
Thingal is the Tamil word for the Moon, and the village carries his name. Chandra has a shrine of his own facing the Lord, and the temple is placed so that the light of the rising moon on certain nights of Panguni falls on the linga. Devotees come here on Mondays and on full-moon days, offering white cloth and raw rice, the things the Shastras give to Soma.
The life of this place
- 7th centuryAppar sings at Thingalur and raises Appudi Adigal’s son, as the Periya Puranam records.
About 3 km from Thiruvaiyaru on the Kumbakonam side. Monday evenings and full-moon nights draw the most devotees.
