Theerthapureeswarar Temple, Thirunelvayil Arathurai –
Legends
Thurai
Temples:
Saptha Rishis worshiped Lord Shiva here and the
fingerprints of all the seven sages can be seen on this lingam. They have
worshiped Lord Shiva in a similar manner at seven holy places on the banks of
river Vellaru /Nee Vaa. These are called the Thurai Temples and they are –
1. Adi Thurai (Kaariyanoor);
2. Thirumaanthurai;
3. Thiruvalanthurai;
4. Su. Aduthurai;
5. Thiruvathittathuri (Thittakudi);
6. Thiruvattathurai (Thirunelvayil Arathurai),
7. Thirukkaranthurai (Pelanthurai)
Saint
Thirugnanasambanthar got Muthu Chivigai, Muthu Kodai and Muthu Chinnam:
It is believed that after worshiping the lord Sri
Pralaya Kaleswarar at Pennaagadam, Saint Thirugnanasambanthar stayed overnight
at Maranpadi (Eraiyur). From there, the journey to this temple was tiring and
exhausting. On knowing this, the Lord advised the local Vethiyars (Brahmins) to
take the pearl palanquin (Muthu Chivigai), a pearl umbrella (Muthu Kodai) and
other pearl-bedecked paraphernalia (Muthu Chinnam) to Eraiyur, offer them to
Thirugnanasambanthar and bring him here. It is believed that the lord himself
had arranged these items for Saint Thirugnanasambanthar.
On the way to Eraiyur, they met Thirugnanasambanthar at
a place called Kudalur and brought him to this temple in a procession in that
palanquin. Lord Shiva bestowed him with the title of “Acharyan” (Teacher). From
there on, Thirugnanasambanthar travelled to many places in this Muthu
Chivigai. As Saint Thirugnanasambanthar got the pearl palanquin here which
is considered to be a turning point in his life, devotees believe by worshiping
the lord here will also bring changes to their life. Devotees also believe that
worshiping the lord here will give them fame, recognition and a better position
in life.
Nandhi’s
head turned towards the right side:
The distinctive feature of this temple is that the
Nandhi’s head is lifted up and turned towards the right side. The story behind
this that once there was a flood in the river Neeva and on the advice of Lord
Shiva, Nandhi turned its head towards the river and prevented the water from
causing any damage.
People
worshipped Lord Shiva here:
It is believed that Lords Mahavishnu, Brahma, Adhiseshan,
Saneeswaran (planet Saturn), Angaraka (planet Mars) and sages Valmiki, Sanakar
and Bharadhwaja have worshiped the lord here. It is also believed that king
Janakar (Sita’s father) and the kings of Chera, Chola and Pandiya kingdoms have
worshiped the lord here.
River
Nee Vaa:
It is believed that Lord Shiva helped the Saptha Rishis
to perform their rituals in this place by calling the Vellaru river here (“Nee
Vaa” meaning, you come here). Because of this the river is also called Nee Vaa.
Sage
Vasishtar got Raja Rishi title here:
Sage Vasishtar performed rigorous penance here and was blessed with the
title of “Raja Rishi” by Lord Shiva. On the basis of this title, he was
appointed as the ‘Kula Guru’ (family teacher) for the royal families of Chola
King Manu, Dasaratha and Sri Ram. As the guru of Sri Ram, Vasishtar gave a
collection of advices which was written down and codified as the ‘Gnana
Vasishtam’. This is similar to the Bhagavad Geeta which contains dialogue
between Arjuna and Lord Krishna.
Dosha
Parihara Sthalam:
Since Saneeswaran and Angaraka worshiped the lord here,
devotees believe that worshiping the lord here would relieve them of the “Dosham”
related to these two planets.
Temple for Maham Nakshatram:
The sacred tree of this
temple is a banyan tree. This tree is believed to be representing the “Maham Nakshatram”
(Maham constellation). Due to this reason, this temple is famous with devotees
born in the period of the Maham Nakshatram.
Aratturai:
Aratturai:
Aadhi Sesha worshipped Shiva here and hence the name
Aravatturai, which became Aratturai. Thirunelvayil Arathurai is another name of
this place.
