சிவகங்கை வேந்தன்

According to tradition, the original seat of Sivagangai family is Nalukotai near sholapuram. Regunatha

Sethupathy alias Kilavan Sethupathy of Ramnad (1674 - 1710) invested one Periya Udaya Thevarof Nalukottai with the rank of a poligar or military chieftain. He granted him lands for the support of three hundred troops. He also conferred on him the title of Nalukottai poligar.

The ‘GOWRI VILASAM’ the palace of Royal House of sivagangai, the capital of modern sivagangai district as a historical moment and as the seat of all the past glories and heroic

deeds of the then Maravar Kings is now being left uncared with scorching look of veritable Sahara.

The history of the orgin of sivagangai is amusing with sorrowful beginning and valorous ending.

Para Rajakesari Kilavan Sethupathy who was on the throne of Ramnad from 1674 to 1710, gave Nalukottai a small village six miles away on the northern side of sivagangai as a gift to kandumeki sivarama sasivarna udaya thevar in appreciation of his bravery. Furthermore, he was given somemore villages surrounding Nalukottai and the revenue from these villages would enable him to maintain a battalion of 300 soldiers.

The death of Kilavan Sethupathy the king of ramnad in 1710 was followed by a war of succession to the throne and in that war of succession, the illegal son of Kilavan Sethupathy’s concubine, bavani sankaran(1725-1728) emerged out with success. His hostility towards Sasivarna Thevar of Nalukottai made him step down from the throne of Nalukottai palayam.

The dethroned Sasivarna Thevar having left with a grief and disappointment was one day sleeping under the shade of a Jambool tree. The fortune started began favoring him in the form of one great saint names Sri Sattapiah, who was sitting in deep meditation on the eastern side of the Jambool tree. Then a lion on conch in the right palm of Sasivarna Thevar and circular lines in his feet fell in the sight of the saint. At once the saint was able to foresee that Sasivarna Thevar had a bright future.

Sasivarna Thevar, who woke up from his sleep prostrated before the saint and begged for saint’s blessings after narrating him a vivid picture of his sufferings and hardships. As instructed by the hermit, Sasivarna Thevar had a dip in the holy water of a nearby spring and then the sacred ash or vibuthi was put on his forehead, as a mark of blessing. The saint also taught him a secret mantra in his ears. The sacred spring in which Sasivarna Thevar had a dip is now at the heart of the town bearing the name ‘SIVAGANGAI’ there is another story which tells us about the name of sivagangai, that is ferocious tiger red in color was sleeping near a bush where the hermit was in deep meditation. The word sivagangai is said to have been derived from the word SHEV VENGAI which means Red Tiger.

Then ramnad was divided in to five parts. He retained three parts for himself and granted two parts to Sasivarna Thevar. The region comprising two parts came under the flag of Sasivarna Thevar.

The history of SIVAGANGAI commences from 22.01.1730. The first king of sivagangai was Sasivarna Thevar who came to be called Kandumekki alias and officially Rajah Muthuvijaya Regunatha Sivarama Sasivarna Periya Udaya Thevar. [1730 - 1750]