Ayyaval was born in Mysore state. His father was a dewan to the king. After his father’s death, the king offered the dewan’s post to Ayyaval which he refused and traveled to Tamil nadu to visit shivite shrines. He visited the temple of Lord Mahalingaswamy in Thiruvidaimaruthur and decidied to visit him daily. For this purpose he chose Thiruvisainallur, a nearby village, which was later gifted to him by Sahaji II, the then ruler of Tanjore.

Apart from his regular shiva pooja, he was a great devotee of Lord Krishna. Once on the day of his father’s death anniversary, while coming back from the river cauvery, he saw a poor beggar dying of hunger. Out of compassion he gave him food prepared for his father’s ceremony and saved his life. The orthodox people in the village prohibited him from doing the rituals until he gets purified by the ganges river. He prayed to God and the holy ganges gushed out of his well. This happens in the new moon day of the tamil month Karthigai. Even now, on this particular day, the ganges gushes out of his well. 

He was one of the chief architect of the bajana padhathi. He was considered to be a close associate of the Saint Sadasiva Bramendra.

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