Bhoothalingaswamy Temple, Boothapandi – Legends
Saliyar Kanda Thirumeni:
Bhoothalinga
Swamy is named as Saliyar Kanda Thirumeni. Long ago, Boothapandi was a little
forest surrounded with bushes and trees. A man who belonged to the caste
of Saliyar had four cows and sent the cows to the forest
every morning for their food and run them back to home at evening. Among the
cows one did not give milk to the man daily. The man thought a hawker draw his cow’s
milk daily. He followed the cow the next day. He saw that the cow went to a
long grass bush and drew its milk automatically.
He was
shocked to see this, and cut the bushes with an iron cutter. He was shocked
that the iron cutter was full of blood. He was scared by that and called all
the people. Together they removed the bushes and they saw a lord Siva sculpture
created by Suyambuligam (Saliyar Kanda Thirumeni). Then the Pandya king ruled
that area built a temple for Shiva and it became the Bhoothalingaswamy temple.
The temple is Kudavarai Kovil (built inside rock).
Lord Rama quelled Thadagai:
As per
mythological stories the temple is located at the spot where Rama quelled
Thadagai.
Parasurama defeated army of Bhuthatans:
The
Mahatmiyam says that the Pandyas invaded Kerala with an army of Bhuthatans
(spirits) and they were defeated by Parasurama, the warrior sage. The boundary of Kerala and Pandya
kingdoms was fixed at Boothapandi as a compromise.