Kaduveli Siddhar at Sri Mahakaleshwarar Temple

Kaduveli Siddhar, also known as Kaduveli Siddha, is one of the renowned 18 Siddhars in the Tamil Siddha tradition.

The story of Kaduveli Siddhar, a sage who performed intense penance under a peepal tree, is also linked to the temple. His penance was so fervent that it caused a drought, which was only alleviated when a temple dancer named Valli tricked him into eating salted papads, breaking his meditation. This act led to the return of the rains, celebrated by a grand pooja where Valli performed a dance. During her performance, Kaduveli Siddhar helped her with a fallen anklet, which led to ridicule from the onlookers. In response, the sage summoned a rain of stones, causing the temple’s lingam to break and creating a desert known as “Kaduveli.”

The King, recognizing the sage’s power, sought forgiveness, and the sage predicted that the barren lands would one day be revived by people from distant places. The sage also repaired the broken lingam with a song, and today, some believe that the Aurovilians are the ones fulfilling the sage’s prophecy by rejuvenating the cursed lands.

Kaduveli Siddhar song:

“வெல்லும் பொழுது விடுவேன் வெகுளியை
செல்லும் பொழுது செலுத்தினேன் சிந்தையை
அல்லும் பகலும் உன்னையே தொழுதேன்
கல்லும் பிளந்து கடுவெளியாமே”

Leave out the anger while you are able to win over (it)!
Propel the mind as much as it can go!
If slept with grace night and day,
even the rock will break to become space.

Siddhars are spiritual adepts and alchemists in ancient Tamil Nadu who are believed to have achieved spiritual powers and insights through intense meditation, yoga, and other spiritual practices.

The Siddhars are believed to have lived at various times, with some accounts placing them between the 4th and 12th centuries AD, while others suggest that they might have lived even earlier.