Sudali Madan, whose correct name is Sudalai Madan rather than Sudali, is regarded as a kaval deivam (guardian deity) who protects people against evil forces and is said to reside in cremation grounds. He is an important deva in Caribbean Shaktism, but only those who have attained a pure heart and mind are to worship him. He is worshipped alongside Permeshwari (also known as Dee Mata) and is considered a form of Lord Shiva. He punishes those who act against Dharma and protects his devotees from harm, bringing harm to those who harm his devotees. He is said to be the guardian of every Jhandi Flag Pole of the temple.
There is no written script for Sudalai Madan, but there are some stories on his origins. The story of Madan tells of his birth in Kailasa, the home of Shiva and Parvati. It is said that Devi Parvathi wanted a child, but Lord Shiva had sworn celibacy. He had promised to be chaste at the request of the gods, since they feared that his union with Parvati would be so powerful it would shatter the universe. Shiva suggests another way to have a child. He tells her to go to Patala Loka, to gather a spark from the lamp that burns there. She did so, carrying the spark in the hem of her skirt. When she returned, she opened the folds of her skirt, and found that the spark had become a shapeless mass , she was really worried and pleaded shiva to give her a solution, thus madan is often called as Mundan which means a person without head and other body parts.Shiva asked Brahma to give the baby a shape.Shiva gave life to the baby. He named him as Sudalai madan since he came to the world because of a lamp and he was shapeless. The boy was blessed by everyone and he was brought up as their son. Parvati initially fed the child the nectar of immortality, instead of breast milk. So it is said that the child became immortal, the child also became desirous for food. He went to the cremation grounds on Kailasa,& began to eat the bodies there. When he finished those he began to eat everything around even the ground itself, He had a heavy appetite, he ate a lot & since he had such a desire for meat, it was deemed that he can’t remain in Heaven. Shiva told him to go to Earth, and to care for it. Madan said that if he should go ashore, it must be honored by a feast of 8 days. He said patients should be cured by sprinkling my ashes. Diseases should disappear with my power,Demons have to flee my staff,his request was granted and he left Thillaivanam to the land where he knocked on the door of the Bagavathi house. A voice from inside asked: Who's there? And he said he was Sudalai,he added: "I am a son of Parvathi, I am a son to you too! "She opened the door and said," If you serve as custodian for all of the 7 treasures, I will offer a human sacrifice at midnight. "But while he was performing the work, Pulayan began to disturb him. Pulayan had one daughter. He did not have the wealth to hold his wedding ceremony. The magician has used its power to reveal the hidden things. With this power, he saw the treasures. After having seen, he ordered 1000 evil spirits to bring him the treasures of the shop Bagavathi, saying that if they failed, they would be called to death.Spirits stole the treasures when Sudalai asleep. When he awoke,he was angry to find that the treasures were gone. Since he was born with power, he could see. He said he would go Bagavathi in Kerala to get the treasures. Bagavathi pleaded with him not to go because it was the site of a great magician. Sudalai but paid no attention to his plea. He started on his way, carrying with him 1000 snakes,1 of each species. Arriving in Kerala, he made a screen with snakes. A girl who was a friend of Pulayan child attended & praised. His daughter was induced to leave the house to see the show. Madan noticed when he picked up a a snake and released it into the crowd, they scattered here and there. Then Sudalai wore a thiruvodu in his hand and went Pulayan where he prayed for water. Pulayan girl replied:"There is a lot of water in the river, there is a lot of water in the channel, Go to quench your thirst". Sudalai said "I do not come as a beggar. But I have to marry you". Then he entered a dense forest of seven hills. He met members of hill tribe. Sudalai was just thinking about how to make Pulayan daughter. Then he took the form of an ant, and crossed the seven hills. When he arrived home, it is Pulayan took the form of a rose and played with her daughter . She kissed the rose and fell asleep. Sudalai made pregnant. The next day, seven men from the hill tribe came to Kerala in search of Sudalai. They asked for a fire to destroy the flies in their farms. Sudalai said”Give me 6 cocks for the sacrifice. Give me 7 goats to water in blood. Give me eggs with 20 to one pot of soil and fiber board". When these things were offered, Sudalai took them in his hands, and immediately broke all into pieces.He got annoyed and demanded the sacrifice of the tribes Pulayan's pregnant daughter, otherwise he threatened he would kill them. They went home Pulayan and told him about the matter.But he replied that if her daughter was pregnant, he would sacrifice her to Sudalai and went to his house. There he saw that his daughter had already designed. He was amazed and said he would go into the jungle to the cult of Kali, and he asked her to accompany him. She replied that she was the big daughter, born by the grace of the gods, and refused to go. But he did not listen to his words and took her into the forest. There he laid her on a wooden platform and tied tightly. She was crying. Sudalai ordered Pulayan quickly to his sacrifice. Pulayan became very distressed and asked Sudalai to kill him, but not his daughter. Sudalai compromise and married his daughter.
His cult is now less prominent among the Indo-Caribbean Madrasi community in favor of other more popular Madrasi gods, so I decided to dedicate this post to his name.