Vekkali Amman Temple, Woraiyur – Legends
Vekkali Amman saved people from fire rain created by
Lord Shiva fury:
A Chola
King was ruling the region then. His Guru Sarama Munivar was a staunch
Shiva devotee. He created a garden for Thayumanaswamigal in Trichy Fort
growing flowers for puja to the Lord. The garden has lot of flowers of
various varieties. But the king was taking those flowers for his wife. His
men took the flowers. Sarama Munivar told the king that he was doing wrong
but the king not only humiliated the Acharya and proudly said that only flowers
remaining there would be allowed for his puja. The Guru appealed to Lord
Shiva.
Infuriated
Lord Thayumanavar turned west and opened his forehead eye. Woraiyur was
reduced to ashes with the fire rain from the Lord’s forehead. King’s fort
was destroyed. People began to run for safety. The only place that
was not affected by the Lord’s fire was the open ground where Vekkali Amman
stayed. People surrendered to her. Responding to the prayers of the people
to get back their homes, Mother Vekkali took the form of a full moon and
appeared before the Lord to quench his fury. Lord calmed. The fire rain
stopped.
Queen
Bhuvanamadevi was also caught in the fire rain. She was pregnant then and
it was in an advanced stage. Unable to bear the fury of the flames she
jumped into the Cauvery and was drawn by its current. A Brahmin saved her
at Utamacherry and took care of her. She delivered Karikal Peruvalathan in
his house. She was a staunch devotee of Vekkali Amman whose mercy
protected her and the Chola dynasty survived. Woraiyur people are very
grateful to Vekkali Amman and continue to worship her as their protector
Goddess for generations.
Tying Prayer Papers:
Annai
Vekkali (Mother Vekkali) relieves the devotees of their distress and blesses
everyone impartially with her protecting hands. The devotees, who write their
problems in “Prayer papers” that are sold at the temple, place them at the
glorious feet of Goddess Vekkali and hang them in the Trishul, which is in
front of the Goddess. Once a devotee does this he is sure of his problems being
solved. This Holy place is the most ancient, Glorious and extraordinary “Sakthi
Sthalam” in Tamilnadu. That those who worship Annai Vekkali need not fear the
evil effects of planets is an everyday experience.
Vekkaliamman without a roof:
In
another story, narrated by the renowned Tamil poet Ottakkoothar, it is said
that Lord Shiva created a sand storm. The storm stopped but the people of the
city had lost their homes in the storm and now had no shelter. The people
prayed to the Goddess and she too decided to live in a temple without a roof,
until everyone in the city had built a shelter for themselves. From then till
today, Vekkaliamman Temple does not have a roof. The Moolavar, or the reigning
deity is open to the sky, be it rain or shine.
Legend
says that many people have tried to build a roof for this temple on numerous
occasions but in vain. Even today, the main deity of Vekkaliamman does not have
a roof over her. Since then, the people of Woraiyur have been grateful and
loyal to Vekkali Amman and continue to worship her as their protector Goddess
for many generations. This historic temple and the kings of those days prayed
to the goddess for valor and strength. A visit to this temple and propitiating
the goddess before going to the battlefield was a common occurrence.
