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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Amanalingeswarar Temple, Thirumoorthy Hills, Udumalaipettai – Legends

Amanalingeswarar Temple, Thirumoorthy Hills, Udumalaipettai – Legends
According to Hindu mythology, Atri Maharishi along with his wife Anusuya Devi lived here. Sage Narada was moved by the Anusuya’s Devotion to husband and he praised her a lot before the wives of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva which made them envious of her. They requested their husbands to reduce her devotion to husband. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva went to Anusuya as guests when Atri Maharishi was not there at home. They asked her to serve them food.
When she agreed to do so, they said that they will accept her alms on the condition that she serves them without wearing clothes. Anusuya falls into a quandary. If she comes without clothes in front of other men her devotion to husband will be reduced. If she refuses then that will be a disgrace to the guests and they can take away all the power of Atri. Anusuya felt that the three guests who asked such a strange favour are not common people since they are trying to place her in a fiddly situation.
Anusuya prayed to her husband in her mind and said that she doesn’t have any fear serving them without clothes as she is not affected by desire. When she heard the guests asking for alms saying Oh Mother! Give us some food where they called her a mother, she decided to consider them as her children and serve them as requested. Because of her greatness and as per her thoughts by the time she came to serve food the three gods became small children and her breasts started producing milk. She then breastfed them and put them to sleep in a cradle.
Atri came back afterwards and hearing the story from Anusuya praised the three gods sleeping in the cradle. They woke up in their original form and praised Anusuya’s devotion to husband and gave her a boon. Anusuya requested that these three should be born as her children—the incarnation of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma as sage Durvasa, Dattatreya and the moon-god Chandra. The Thiru Moorthi’s blessed the couple and hence the place is known as Thiru Moorthi hills.
Of the many places sacredly attached to Lord, Tirumuthi hills occupy a significant place, because, it is believed that Lord graces here invisibly as a child.  He imparts all boons the devotee asks for.  Tirumurthimalai is also the place indicated by Lord Shiva to Sage Agasthya to have his Kailash wedding darshan.  The place is also revered as Panchalinga Sthala, hence praised as Kailash of South.