Karaikal Ammaiyar was a poetess betrothed in divine musical composition. She was named after her birthplace Karaikal as Karaikal Ammaiyar. Her story remains popular in Tamil Nadu to express the link between gender and devotion, which disturbed the peace of the domestic realm. Ammaiyar composed the two works Adbhula Tiru Antadi and Tiru Rettai Mani Malai.

Karaikal Ammaiyar was a beautiful and dutiful Hindu wife before becoming a poet. Her unparalleled devotion to Lord Siva and the miracles she performed, elevated her to the status of goddess. She prayed to Lord Siva to relieve her beauty and give her a demon form, which was granted by god. She made a pilgrimage to the Himalayas, walking on her head, seeing her devotion Lord Siva called her "Amma". Lord Siva allowed her to witness his dance at Tiruvalangadu where she lived as his devoteeThere is a mango festival in her honour at Karaikal her hometown in the Tamil month Ani (June - July) since mango played a crucial role in her life. When she was living with her husband, he gave two mangoes to her asking her to serve during dinner. Meanwhile a Saiva saint came for alms. Punithavati (her original name) gave one mango and rice to saint. In the night, she served the food to her husband with one mango. After enjoying the taste of the mango, he asked her to serve the other one. She was frightened and prayed to Lord Siva to save her from the anger of her husband. The Lord bestowed her with another tasty mango. After eating the second one the husband asked her from where she got it since the second one was tastier than the first one. With great hesitation, she told him the way in which she got the mango. Unable to believe her words he asked her get one more mango through her prayer. She got another one, which made her husband treat her not as ordinary woman, and he began to worship her as a goddess.