Sathya Vageeswarar Temple, Kalakkad – Legends
Etymology:
As per
popular folklore, the name Kalakkad was due to one of the following:
·
The place was a forest
full of 'kalaa' (Tamil word) tree;
·
It was a battlefield or 'Kalam'
(Tamil word);
·
It was the capital of 'kalapirars'
who ruled Tamil Nadu from this place
Raavanan abducted Sita Devi from this place:
This is
the place where Seetha Devi was abducted by Raavanan and the place is called
Sorakadavi in the epics.
Sathya Vageeswarar:
When
Seetha was abducted, Rama and Lakshman worshipped Shiva under the Punnai tree
and Shiva gave them the assurance. After Seetha’s return, they all came again
and named the Lord as Sathyavageesar.
Art of making stone into soft material:
The art
(trick) of making stone into a very soft material was known here and
Manickavasagar had sung about it.
Devas worshipped Shiva here:
As per
another legend, Devas were defeated by Asuras; they sought Shiva's help; he
advised them worship him in this site. Accordingly, they came to this site and
prayed to the Lord. He along with Ganas accompanied Devas and won Asuras.
Hence, the Devas named the Lord as Sathya Vageeswarar and the Theertham as 'Sathya
Theertham'.
