Erumbeeswarar Temple, Thiruverumbur – Etymology
According
to Hindu legend, there lived a demon (Asura) Tharukasuran, who conquered Prithvi (earth) and Svarga (heaven). Indra, the leader of celestial deities and other gods suffered at the hands of Tharukasuran and sought
the help of the creator - god Brahma, who asked them to worship Shiva in Thiruverumbur. In order to deceive Tharukasuran, Devas transformed
into ants and reached the temple. Since the surface of the lingam (aniconic form of Shiva) was slippery, the ants
found it difficult to climb up and worship.
Shiva
transformed himself into an ant hill and slid his head, which enabled the ants
to climb and worship. Hence the name Erumbeeswarar is derived
from Erumbu meaning ant and Eswaran referring to Shiva. This
is one of the three places where Shiva slid his head for his worshippers, the
other two being the temples at Virinjipuram and Thiruppanandal.
The
temple is also referred as Rathinakoodam, Thirverumbipuram, Erumbeesam,
Brahmapuram, Laskhmipuram, Madhuvanam, Rathnakooda Puram, Manikoodapuram and
Kumarapuram in various religious literatures. The temple is locally called
as Kailash (the abode of Shiva) of South
India.