Chendhanar (A strong devotee of lord Shiva from South India)

Chendhanar is one among the nine devotees who sung the Divine Music Thiruvichaippa, which is the ninth thirumurai. His compositions form the second set in the Thiruvichaippa. He was working as the head clerk of pattinaththadikaL(1). (There have been many people with the name Chendhan in the history. Kovai Thudichaikkilar refers to Veera Chendhanar as the composer of Thiruvichaippa and Naan Gurch Chendhanar as the composer of Thirupallandu. There was one identified as dhivakaram cheyviththa Chendhanar who lived in ambar. One more was the one Chendhanar adored by grammar text Veera Choliyam and he was a budhdhist.) Chendhanar was from the town Nangur near Thiruvenkadu. (Some say he was from a town called cheppuRai). He lived in the end 9th and start 10th century A.C.E.

When he was the head clerk of pattinaththAr, on his order Chendhanar opeThiruvalmisalai, Thiruvavaduthurai Thiruvidaikallined pattinaththAr's exchequer to public. The relatives of pattinaththAr made the Cholla king arrest Chendhanar. pattinaththAr prayed to God and got Chendhanar released. Later Chendhanar went along with his wife and family to thillai. He was cutting the woods and leading a life out of the meager income that came out of that. In spite of that this devotee who had in his breath the ethics of Shaivaites used to feed one devotee of Lord who has never-departing wealth, everyday. The Lord who enjoys the sincerity and love of the devotees one day came as a devotee and ate the cooked grain balls ( Kalli) he offered and exhibited in public his love by showing the excess of that food on His sacred body.

Once in a Thiruvadhirai(2) festival when the chariot of the thillai temple was stuck and stopped, he sang Thiru Pallandu and the chariot without anybody pulling ran and reached the shed ! He later founded a monastery in Thiruvidaikalli and stayed there worshipping Lord Skanda. It is said that the king donated the land for his monastery which was called Chenda Mangalam. Thiruvidaikallip puranam states that he got to the Feet of the Flame like Lord on the Thaipusam(3) day. The blessed follower has sung the Thiruppalandu(4) which in spite of being a small 13 hymn song in the huge nectar ocean of thirumurai is always sung as part of Panicha Puranam(5) in the prayers. He has also composed Thiruvichaippa(4) on Thiruvalmisalai, Thiruvavaduthurai Thiruvidaikalli.