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Marimutta Pillai (1712-1787) was born in Tillaividangan, near Cidambaram, also known as tillai. Tillai was named after a forest of trees of that species, known by the botanical name Excoecaria agallocha, which grows wild in the marshy tidal shores.
Sekkizhzar, the medieval Thamizh poet, wrote his classic work Periya Puranam in Cidambaram. He sang the glory of tillai thus:
AdiyAi naDuvum Aki aLavilA aLavum Akic
cOdiyAi uNarvum Akit tOnRiya poruLum Akip
bEdiyA EkamAkip peNNumAi ANum Akip
bOdiyA niRkum tillaip podunaDam pORRi pORRi.
SEkkizhAr talks about Lord Shiva who manifests as the beginning, the immeasurable, the effulgence, the meaning of the inscrutable, the division as well as the union of the male and the female, and the universal knowledge that is represented by the cosmic dance - all represented by the cosmic dance performed only at tillai.
Marimuthu pillai, who is inseparable from tillai, was born in a devout shaivaite family. He was a great Thamizh composer well-known for writing prabhandham (a musical composition). His very first composition was the famous ‘puliyUr veNbA’ in praise of the city of Cidambaram. Only 25 of his songs on Lord Nataraja are now available. Many of the themes of his songs are connected to Lord Shiva and more particularly Nataraja of Cidambaram.
Marimuthu pillai, Arunacala Kavi and Muttut Tandavar are hailed as members of the Thamizh trinity (Thamizh mUvar) in recognition of their contributions to Thamizh music.Not very many compositions of Marimuthu pillai have survived the test of time. Some of his compositions that are sung in music concerts are: kAlait tUkki ninRu (yadukula khAmbhOji), orukAl sivacidambaram (Arabhi), and Edukkittanai mODi tAn (suraTTi).
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