Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi was a great devotee of Ramanatha swami like the other Sethupathi Kings. He had donated Rs.18680 worth silver Swing and a beautiful Chariot to Rameswaram temple. But the Dharmic nature of the King came out in a strange incident.
He had two daughters Sivakami Nachiyar & Rajalakshmi Nachiyar. Both of them were so close that they wanted to marry their ‘Murai Maman’, Dhantapani Thevar. Sethupathi agreed and both got married to Dhantapani. He also appointed his son-in-law as ‘in charge’ of Rameswaram.

Those days, boats used to ferry Yatris from Mandapam in the mainland to Rameswaram. This was done as free of service as Ramanathapuram samasthanam operated them. But someone gave a weird idea to Dhantapani Thevar. They asked him levying a small fee of 25 paise per person and it can be used for the temple expenses. Thevar agreed to this but he didn’t inform Sethupathi. So Boats have started charging a fee to ferry the Yatris

One day, a poor man came to Rameswaram all the way from north. He didn’t have money to pay for the boat. So he was refused the journey. Angered, he went to Sethupathi’s court and complained. Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi was completely taken aback. He immediately ordered his son in law to be brought to the court.

It was proved that the boats were charging the Yatris. Sethupathi got very angry and charged his son in law of committing ‘Siva Droham’. He ordered capital punishment for this crime. Dhantapani Thevar was beheaded. Hearing this, both the daughters of Sethupathi committed suicide.

Sethupathi built two choultries in their memory at Rameswaram. The elder one’s is called as Akkaal Madam and the younger one, Thangachi Madam. While the choultries don’t exist today, villages bearing the names are still there in Rameswaram, telling every passerby about how this land is blessed by such Dharmic kings !!