Once, a famine struck the region and however continued to fetch water and worship the god. His body became emaciated. Finally, he succumbed to the pangs of hunger and fainted; the pot of water fell on the lingam and broke. Shiva appeared in Pugazh Thunai Nayanar's dream and said that he would leave a gold coin daily as a daily wage so that the Nayanar can sustain himself till the end of the famine. Pugazh Thunai Nayanar found a gold coin daily at the foot of Lingam. He continued his services even after the famine till end of his life, when he attained Kailash, the abode of Shiva after death.