Madavar Vilagam Vaidyanathar Temple, Srivilliputhur –
Legends
Thirumalai Nayakar cured of his Stomach Pain:
As per
local legend, the Nayak king Thirumalai
Nayak suffered from
stomach pain and he arrived at Madavar Vilagam in an ivory palanquin and stayed
there for 48 days. He was completely cured and as a mark of his gratitude, he
constructed the Natarajar hall as in Madurai Meenakshi temple. He also built drum halls from the temple to Madurai as
he would take his midday meal only after hearing the drum sounds indicating the
mid-day pooja is completed in this temple. The stone halls could be seen even
today on the Srivilliputhur Madurai highways.
Lord taught lesson to Tax Evaders:
Some
traders procured pepper in Kerala and smuggled it to Madurai telling
the authorities that the merchandise was just Dal. They intended to evade the
tax payable on pepper. Reaching home, when they opened the bags, they were
shocked to find only dal and not pepper. They went to lord Chockanaathar
in Madurai and apologized for their act. They were advised to
pray to Vaidhyanathar. It is said that the message of the story was to
teach a lesson to tax evaders.
Lord Shiva helped a pregnant Lady:
A
staunch devotee of lord Siva was living here with his devout
wife. She was on the family way and it was time to deliver the child. She
sent word to her mother for help. But she did not turn up; hence the lady
started herself to the mother’s house. She developed labour pain on the
way itself and loudly called the lord for help. The lord immediately
appeared before her in the form of her mother herself and helped the delivery
of the child. The woman was very thirsty, the lord just made a line on the
earth with his nail and the water sprang up. The lord said that the water
would be the medicine for her pain and delivery wound. The lord in
the form of her mother disappeared then.
The real
mother also arrived just then. The girl said that she had delivered the
child safely because of her timely help. The mother was very much
confused. The lord with his consort Sivakami appeared before the mother
and daughter and told them that he alone nursed her in time of need. The
lord also said that as the spring healed her wounds and quenched her thirst,
the stream would be known as Kayakudi Aaru. Those having a dip in the
river would be free of all fears of life and attain all comforts in life.