Valampurinathar Temple, Melaperumpallam – Legends
Pattinathar:
A king
of Kasi wanted to test the fidelity of his queen. While camping in forests
for hunting, he asked his minister to inform his wife that he was killed by a
tiger during hunting. Hearing the news, the queen instantly fell
dead. For causing the death of a chaste wife by false information, the
king was possessed by evil dosha-Brahmmahathi dosha. The king consulted many
pundits for relief. He was advised to feed 1000 Brahmins each day at this
place -Tiruvalampuram. One day, a voice said that the king would be
relieved of the sin when the bell of the temple rang that never rang
before. Feeding continued.
One day,
Pattinathar came to this temple and asked the people in the kitchen to give him
food which they refused. Pattinathar, took the Kanji (the extra water
flowing out while boiling the rice) with his two hands and drank it. The
bell began to ring. Everyone was surprised to hear the bell ringing even
before the feeding began. They saw Pattinathar smiling there. The entire
crowd assembled to witness the miracle had watched Pattinathar blissfully
seated. The King with due respect and honor invited Pattinathar to his palace
and revealed his gratitude. The spirit on the king left immediately. This event
is celebrated as a festival even now.
Vishnu penance on Lord Shiva:
When
Lord Vishnu took up a penance on Lord Shiva, he left his consort Mahalakshmi as
the companion of Ambica. He got a club and the discus as reward for his
penance. He also worshipped Ambica and received the conch and Padma-Lotus,
according to the Sthala Purana-history of the land.
Shiva darshan to Thirunavukarasar:
Lord
Shiva granted darshan to Saint Tirunavukkarasar in this place during his
pilgrimage along with saint Tirugnanasambandar.
Equivalent to Kasi:
Dananjayan,
king of Magadha instructed his son that his Asthi-ashes should be
immersed at a place where it turns into a flower. To fulfill his father’s
wish, after his death, the son wandered to sacred places. The ashes turned
into a flower when he reached this place. He dissolved the ashes here. Hence,
the placed is considered as holy as Kasi.
Daksha performed penance to have Dhakshayani as his
daughter:
Daksha
and his wife performed penance here to have Dhakshayani as their
daughter.
The Name Valampuram:
The
legend has that the River Cauvery was gracefully flowing through these lands,
there appeared Adishesha with its thousand heads plunged into the river created
a Biladhwaram/perforate. Due to the sudden thrust of Adishesha with its massive
body, River Cauvery descended down to the burrow and got trapped in to the hole
without any free flow at Thiruvalanchuzhi. The Chozha King who was ruled this
city was witnessing this incident and shocked at this sight. Soon he could
listen to a mysterious voice affirmed that the Biladhwaram would disappear when
a sage get into this hole and wholeheartedly give up his life.
The King
met with the sages who were undergoing severe austerities in the woodlands and
narrated the incident. The sages were agreed to do anything for bringing out
the River Cauvery on the surface of the Earth. Sage Heranda went inside the
Biladhwaram, instantly the River Cauvery spurted out from the Biladhwaram and
started flowing as generously as ever. Sage Heranda circumambulated this land
all the way through the tunnel; finally regained himself from this and appeared
on this place on Earth. Hence this place has got the name ‘Thiruvalampuram’. Since
the place is to the west (right side) of Cauvery River, the place got its name.