Friday, December 23, 2016

Velladainatha Swami Temple, Thirukarugavur – Legends

Velladainatha Swami Temple, Thirukarugavur – Legends
Lord Shiva feeding Sundarar:
During his pilgrimage, Saivite Saint Sundarar came to this place to worship Shiva, but could not find the temple as the place was a dense jungle then. He sadly continued his journey with his followers. When he felt very hungry, an old man came to him and said that he was feeding Shiva devotees at a nearby place and asked him to come there for a lunch. Sundarar and his followers enjoyed a good feast coupled with hospitality of the host.  After the lunch, Sundarar slept for a while as he was very tired then. 
When he woke up, he found neither the feeding camp nor any sign of feeding event. He realized that it was Lord Shiva who quenched his hunger. Lord Shiva appeared before Sundarar and showed him the temple. This Feeding event is celebrated as a great festival on the Full Moon Day of the month of Chithirai (April-May) in the temple. Devotees believe that worshipping the Lord here would ensure them a life free of hunger.
Tirugnana Sambandar prayed to Lord Shiva for absolving his sins for killing Jains:
Tirugnana Sambandar as a child devotee of Lord Shiva and blessed with a high degree of poetic abilities by Mother Parvathi, fought the Jains who waged a war against Saivism. According to the literary history of Tamilnadu, it was Child Sambandar and the ripe old Saivite saint, who had a firsthand knowledge and experience of the Jain designs, fought the war together. In the various challenges Sambandar was drawn, he defeated the Jains and re-established the glory of Saivism in Tamilnadu and almost eliminated Jainism from the Tamil soil.
As was agreed between Sambandar and the Jains, the latter were hanged after Sambandar won every challenge. However, Sambandar had to incur the sin of causing the death of the Jains and wanted to go to Kasi to make amends for the sin. He prayed for the permission of Lord Shiva in Sirkali to proceed to Kasi. Lord appeared before Sambandar and brought Ganga here itself. The child saint had a dip in holy Ganga and got relieved of the sin. A temple was erected here later.
River Ganga sprang in the well here on the New Moon day in the Thai month (January-February). Based on this story, the holy spring is opened for the use of devotees on this day only and will be closed during the rest of the year.
Vishnu in the form of Rishaba worshipped Shiva here:
Vishnu is said to have taken the form of a white Rishabam and prayed to Shiva, hence Velvidai, Rishabapuram, and Vishnupuram.
Shiva made Kuberan to gift Gems to poor devotee:
It is also believed that Shiva caused Guberan to provide a poor devotee with a gift of gems hence the name Ratnankureswarar.
Story behind the name Kurukavur:
Agni in the guise of a pigeon had tested King Sibi and to regain his original form, created a river and offered its waters in prayer to Shiva, hence Kurukavur.