Ponnar-Sankar history

Ponnar Sankar story starts from their
grandfathers. The chieftain of the Vazhavanthi
country in Chera kingdom (part of Southern
Namakkal district) was Kolaththa Gounder, eldest
among the twelve brothers belong to Perungudi
clan of Konga Karaala Vellalars. He and his wife
Pavalaththal decides to leave their country
because of the injustful brothers. They came to
Mathukkarai Goddess Sellandiyamman temple
and found the three Maharajas, Chera-Chola-
Pandya were sitting infront of the goddess to
mark their tri-nation border. Kolaththa Gounder
solves the dispute and Chola Maharaja gave a
country called Konad to him, for his justice. The
couple went to Konadu and has found the
settlements, Ponds and the agricultural lands out
wastelands and made the country prosperous,
which was later named as Valanad. The 11
brothers from Vazhavanthi country faced severe
drought and have seeked refuge to their eldest
brother in Konad in Chola kingdom. The elder
brother, as a Karaalan gave refuge in the borders
of his country Konad.
The couple were living prosperous but
they didn’t had child and they so both of them
have went to several temple to make pray God to
bless with them children. They were blessed with
a male child after long penance and they named
him as Mannudaiya Gounder (later called as
Kunnudaiya Gr.). He was little bit sluggish boy
and was innocent. The couple died leaving the
five year old child in their old age. After the death
of the couple the 11 brothers were jealous about
their eldest brother’s assets. They have droved
out the innocent child from Valanad and this
young child went to Aathichettipalayam (currently
nearPuliyur, Karur district). He went to a
Chettiyar (Merchant caste) home who was selling
the rice bran. After the arrival of Kunnudaiyan the
Chettiar become prosperous. The Kunnudaiyan’s
father has taken a promise from his brother-in-
law that he should give his daughter
Thamarainachi to marry Kunnudaiyan. But,
Sellaththa Gounder the cousin for Kunnudaiyan
was thinking to marry Thamarai to his Son, as
they have droven out Kunnudaiyan. The Chola
Thotti (a message announcer caste) who worked
under Kolaththa Gounder has searched for
Kunnudaiyan and found him in Chettiar’s house
and has brought him to Thamarainachi’s house
before the marriage day to Maniyankurichi.
Kunnudaiyan asked his aunt and uncle
to give their daughter to marry. But they have
illtreated him and have punished them for a night
in cell with ants and termites. Lord Vishnu saves
him in that night from the ants. Thamarai hearing
the news refused to marry the alliance of
Sellaththa Gounder’s son and wanted marry to
Kunnudaiyan. Finally, she married Kunnudaiyan.
After marriage, Thamarai was ill-treated by her
father and son, for not acting for their wish.
Thamarai made a pledge to her father that she
will give birth to two male children and you will
have two grand daughter and my sons will
marry them and will put them in jail.
The couples came to Valanad and
Kunnudaiyan went to his paternal cousin to ask
for land, but they refused to give them land.
Kunnudaiyan went to Chola Maharaja and have
explained their situation and mentioned his
father’s name. Chola Maharaja gave wastelands to
Kunnudaiyan. With the help of Mayavar (Blue God
Lord Vishnu)Kunnudaiyan have succeeded in his
cultivation and have become prosperous.
Though, the couple doesn’t have progeny. The
couple has done lot of penance and prayers. The
couple’s were asked in the Chidambaram temple
by the god that you want children, who will live
for 16 years, who will achieve allthings or
children, who will live for 100 years and won’t
achieve anything. Thamarai asked for the
previous and she also asked the maternal
blessing for all the people around them and the
animals that she grew. The Lord Shiva blessed all
of them. The Pacha pandavas who came to
heaven after doing the Dharamayuththam in the
end of Dwaparayuga were asked again to go and
born in earth to reestablish the Dharma in
Kaliyuga. With this wish of God, Dharamaraja-
Arjuna-Draupathi has born as Ponnar-Sankar-
Arukkani Thangam, Bheema as Sambuhan to
Chola Thotti and Nagula-Sahadeva as Cousin
brothers to Kunnudaiyan. The jealousy cousins of
Kunnudaiyan’stried to kill the two boys of
Thamarai through Kuppayi in their delivery. But,
with the blessing of Lord Vishnu they escaped the
deathand they emerged through left and right
ribs of Thamarai and were brought up by
Goddess Sellandiyamman for five years. The
couples were left with girl Arukkani alone.
Goddess Sellandi brings back their two
sons, Ponnar-Sankar to Kunnudaiyan. Thamarai
shares all their life hard experiences. Ponnar and
Sankar (Annamar) revenged their cousin fathers
and mothers for punishing their father and
mother. Annamar while playing with the children
of the hunting people (Veduvars) they shows
their bravery and succeeds them several times.
Once, Thamarai have made a pledge to Thalaiyur
Kaali (The Veduva Raja) that she eradicates the
Veduva kula for his misbehavior. So, the bravery
and the doings of Annamar created restlessness
in Thalaiyur (West of Konad). Suddenly, the
parents die and Ponnar-Sankar rule Valanad
under the gods grace. They show their bravery
to the Chola Maharaja, who seeks their help for
protecting the borders of kingdom. Meanwhile
the Thalaiyur Kaaliraja plunders Valanad and
Annamar defeats them with their bravery.
Annamar marries Muththayi and Pavalayi and
jails them as per the wish of their parents.
Samabuhan and Cousin sons and all
the incarnation join together in Valanad. The
Thalaiyur Kaaliraja plans to kill Ponnar and Sankar.
Heuses the Thattan (Carpenter), who goes to
Valanad and criticizes Ponnar for taking his
Golden bowl and returning the wooden one.
Ponnar promises that to prove his truthfulness he
will do anythingthat Thattan asks to do. Thattans
plans to kill him in the pond and he asks Ponnar
to enter inside the inlet of the pond and come out
through outlet of the pond. Thattans tries to put
stone on his head, while Ponnar comes outside.
But, Ponnar escapes his plans and Thattans was
cursed by his own mother that his entire lineage
will born handicapped.
After that incident, the Veduva Kaaliraja
directly attacks Valanad and Ponnar-Sankar-
Sambuhan-Cousin sons started their war against
the Veduva army at Veerappur. Finally both of
them started destroying all Veduvas as per their
mother’s pledge. But, Mayavar (Lord Vishnu) sees
this and gives lives to Veduvas one side.Mayavar
finally, let an arrow on Sankar and Sankar
considered this arrow as disregard for his
bravery and a palm leaf comes to him that he
should turn back to heaven. So, Sankar leaves his
life. Following the Sambuhana nd cousin sons die
in another side. Ponnar also does a promise that
they won’t uproot the Veduvar kula and diesoff.
The Thalaiyur Kaaliraja attacks the
Valanad fort and Arukkani thangam knows these
happening to her brother through her virtues and
she burns the Valanad fort along with her
brother’s wives, to save their purity. Finally, she
searches for Annamar and reaches the
Padukalam (War-zone) and she screams out
there. Her screaming disturbs Goddess
Periyakandi, who is doing penance for yugas
together waiting for arrival of Ponnar-Sankar and
to see their bravery to protect Dharma. Goddess
sent different animals to kill Arukkani, who
disturbed her penance. Finally, she came down
and has seen the war-zone and asks Arukkani
about the happening. She explains her history
and Periyakandi realizes everything and asks
Arukkani to do a homa and sprinkle holy water
on the dead people. Arukkani performs homa
herself and sprinkles holy water and all the dead
people have raised up. Lord Vishnu comes in to
the picture and tells Arukkani that if the dead
people rose the earth can’t bear the load. Then all
the people die. The incarnations of
Panchapandavas go to heaven again and
Goddess Periyakandi also attains the Kailash as
her penance came to end.
From then Ponnar sankar comes to
earth every year to get their Pooja from the
people at Veerappur temple. This pooja is
performed every year and the same Padukalam
was performed by the people with very
conscious way. This attracts atleast one million
people in a week during the time of
Mahasivarathri every year. The Annamr story
was played through western Tamil nadu in
several places and the worship was done with
care for many centuries