Once upon a time, when Sivaganga was ruled by the Pandyas, King Periyamarudu wanted to build a temple for Shiva or Kaleeswara. When the temple was nearing completion, the King wanted to build a Rath, (temple car) for the deity. So King Periamarudu commissioned a sculptor from Baganeri named Kuppamuthu to do the job.
The temple car also was ready. On the day of consecration of the temple, the king was to be led in the rath to the temple. People congregated on the scene and began pulling the car. But the rath refused to budge. King Periamarudu looked at Kuppamuthu.
“The remuneration for the making of the rath has not been given,” said Kuppamuthu in a humble voice.
“What do you want by way of remuneration?” asked the King.
“Would you give me anything I ask?” queried Kuppamuthu.
“Of course! I will,” said the King.
After a minute of silence, Kuppamuthu said “ For one whole day, I would like to wear your clothes and ride this rath as the King of this land.”
The people around were angry, but King Periamarudu did not get angry. He handed over all his royal possessions to the sculptor. Kuppamuthu in turn went and looked over the temple car and did some minor repairs. He then went and sat on the rath majestically. Soon King Periamarudu said “Hail! King Kuppamuthu Pandya” and his contingent and the people hailed their new king.
Passing the streets of the kingdom, the temple car rolled on. It did not stop at its destination, the temple. Immediately people moved logs near its wheels to stop the car. The car rolled a stop after this and the sculptor Kuppamuthu was thrown out the car and he came under its wheels. The temple car began rolling over the sculptor and he was killed.
King Periamarudu was stunned beyond belief. At this point the royal doctor arrived with a letter to the King. It was written by Kuppamuthu to the king. It said “Oh King. I am writing this letter in grief. Before beginning the work on the temple car, it is customary to sculpt a statue of Lord Ganesha. But when I was sculpting the figure, I could not get the trunk of the lord properly. I tried it thrice and it went wrong. According to the sculpting rule book, if such a thing happens the king of the country is said to die. So to avoid such a misfortune, I asked you to offer me the post of being a king for a day. So now that I have saved the king of my land I have got my remuneration and will die in peace.”
The King who was a brave man was moved to tears at this act of sacrifice by his subject.
