Valeeswarar Temple, Kuranganilmuttam – Legends
Story behind the name “Kuranganilmuttam”:
Sage
Markandeya was destined to die at the age of sixteen. He took a pilgrimage to
all Shiva shrines. When he attained the age of sixteen, Yama the Lord of Death
approached him and waged the rope around his neck which wrongly fell on Lord
Shiva who not only cursed him and dismissed him from the post for not doing his
work right. Markandeya was saved. When Lord Yama begged the pardon of the Lord,
who said that he would have his darshan on Earth at an appropriate time when he
would be restored to his post. He came to earth in the form a crow and
worshipped Shiva here.
Indira,
the king of the Devas (those in the celestial world) wrongly cast his eyes on
the wife of Sage Gautama. As he cast his eyes wrongly on a married woman, he
was cursed by the Rishi to have eyes all parts of his body. Indira came to Lord
Shiva for relief from the sin committed by him. He was also advised to undertake
pilgrimage in Earth and that he would grace him at an appropriate time. Indira
came to earth in the form Anil – Squirrel and worshipped Shiva here.
It is
believed that Vali, the king of monkeys also came here to worship Lord Shiva
the same time. Vali was a great Shiva Bhakta. Yama and Indira worshipped Shiva
along with Vali. Lord Shiva graced his Darshan to the three together and
relieved Yama and Indira from the sins. As prayed by them, he stayed in this
place as a Swayambumurthy. The place came to be known as Kurangu Anil Muttam,
Kurangu - Monkey, Anil - squirrel, Muttam -crow.
It is
interesting to note that Vali the monkey (Kurangu) worshipped Shiva at the
entrance to the temple, while simultaneously Indira in the form of a squirrel
(anil) offered worship from the south, and Emadharmaraja (Yamaraja) in the form
of a crow (Muttam, Kaakam) offered worship from the north. There are sculptures
of the three on the pillars of the temple depicting their worships.
Koyyamalar Nathar:
When the
monkey king Vali came to worship the Lord, he did not want to pick the flowers
by hand but shook the tree making the flowers fall on the Lord. Koyya - not
picked, Malar - flowers. As the Lord was worshipped with such direct flowers,
He got the name Koyyamalar Nathar.
Yama, Creator of the Temple Tanks:
Yama the
God of Death was in the form of a crow before worshipping Lord Shiva, scratched
the land and made a spring, bathed and worshipped the Lord then. The spring was
made in the shape of a new moon in the semicircle form surrounding the temple
on three sides while the Lord is seated on a rock on the plain side. The spring
is called Kakkaimadu Theertham and Vayasaidmadu Theertham. (Kakkai in Tamil and
Vayasam in Sanskrit means crow). Yama is the authority of Planet Saturn. Those
seeking relief from adverse aspects of this planet, worship Lord Shiva.
Mother with Bangles:
Mother
Irayarvalai Ammai graces from a separate shrine facing west. Vali, Indira and Yama
the God of Death worshiped Mother before worshipping the Lord seeking her
recommendation to Lord to grace them. Valai means yielding in this context. That
the Mother yields to the devotees, brought her the name Irayar Valai Ammai.
Saint Ganasambandar had praised the Mother in his hymns. Valai also means
bangles. Married and pregnant women offer the bangles to the Mother before they
wear them hoping that they will be blessed with children and their deliveries
would be safe.
Ravana worshipped Shiva here:
Legend
says, even Ravana prayed
Shiva here and it has been depicted in the sculpture in the Temple.
Hanuman worshipped Shiva here:
Hanuman
is also said to have worshipped Shiva here, and various panels depicting these
are found in the temple.