Nandhanaar
- Having risen from a background that wasn’t allowed to enter temples or read the scriptures, Nandhanaar was an ardent devotee of Shiva. He was one of the 63 Naayanmaars who are known for their immeasurable devotion to Lord Shiva.
- Unlike man, God doesn’t discriminate between an ant and a tiger, or between a pauper and a king. Every creature born on Earth has equal access and right to worship God. This was his firm belief.
- Nandhanaar was an agricultural worker. For quite a long time he had the wish to see and get absorbed in the beauty of Lord Nataraja of Chidambaram. But the scriptures and the men who held the scriptures did not allow him inside the temple. He didn’t give it to such obstacles. He kept trying relentlessly and his efforts did bear him the fruit he desired. But even then, he was allowed only till the door.
- Nandhanaar’s incomparable devotion is described in ‘Thirutthonda Thogai’, a book written by Sundaramurthy Swamigal on the devotees of Lord Shiva. In this book, he is referred to as ‘Thirunaalai Povaar’.
- Periya Puranam, one of the sacred texts in Saivism, speaks highly of Nandhanaar’s devotion. Sekkizhaar, the author of Periya Puranam, describes Nandhanaar as ‘the one who is beyond comparisons.