Manakanchara Nayanar

Manakanchara Nayanar is the Nayanar who gave his daughter in marriage to a beggar the god had sent — the legend of dana carried past every social measure.

Life/Legend

The hagiography relates that Manakanchara, a devout householder, vowed never to refuse a devotee. Shiva came to his door as a aged beggar asking for the daughter’s hand; the saint gave her, mourning his wife’s grief but obeying the vow — and the beggar revealed himself as Shiva, blessing the household. The tale is the canon’s test of the vow against affection.

Legacy

His story is told wherever the Nayanar virtue of the unbroken promise is taught.

Verification notes

• Narrative is hagiographic (Periya Puranam); dating traditional.
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).