Erumbeeswarar Temple, Thiruverumbur – Legends
Erumbeeswarar:
Devas,
an elite community in the celestial world lost all their wealth and position to
demon Tarakasuran. They approached Lord Brahmma for remedy. He
advised them to worship Lord Shiva in this place with flowers and assured them
that the demon would be killed by him. To escape the attention of the
demon, Devas took the form of ants (Erumbu in Tamil) to worship
Shiva. As the Linga was too soft and slippery and steep, they could
not reach the top of the Linga. All merciful Lord changed his form
as an ant-hill also leaning slightly to facilitate their pujas to him. Lord
came to their rescue, destroyed the demon. He is praised as Erumbeeswarar.
Shiva Shakthi Form:
Lord
Shiva in the temple is a swayambumurthy. There is gap in the middle of the
Linga as if it is twin Linga. This is explained as Shiva-Shakti
form. As ants go in line in the sanctum sanctorum during pujas, it
is said that Lord, in the form of ants, accepted the pujas offered to him.
People worshipped Erumbeeswarar:
·
Lord Muruga
·
Brahman
·
Rathi
·
Indra
·
Agni
·
Agasthyar
·
Naimisa Munivar
·
Kattangazhi Swamiji
Rathi praying to Erumbeeswarar:
It is believed
that Rathi, wife of Manmadan, the lord of love (Cupid) prayed to Erumbeeswarar
to make her humble and less proud of her beauty.
Fight between Vayu & Adiseshan:
This
temple hill is said to be a piece of the legendary Mount Meru. Once Vayu – the
Wind God - and the divine serpent Adiseshan had a competition to decide who had
greater physical strength. Vayu broke a piece of the holy mountain and it landed
in these parts of the world.
