Angala Parameswari Temple, Putlur – Legends
As per legend, Lord Shiva and Parvathi were walking from Melmalayanur
towards Putlur. Putlur was situated inside a neem forest. Motther Parvathi was tired because of the arduous walk. She sat down and asked Lord Shiva for water to quench her thirstt. As Lord Shiva didnt find any water sources nearby, he had to embark an journey towards Coovum river to fetch water. While he was approaching the river, heavy rains were pounding the area. As a result of this raining, the river was flooded and hindered Lord Shiva approach to the river.
Due to the heavy floods in the river, Lord Shiva had to wait for quite a long time to fetch water from river. Meanwhile Mother Parvathi got tired due to extreme thirst. Exhausted Mother Parvathi lied on the floor and an anthill grew over her. Lord Shiva returned to the place where he left Mother Parvathi and found that Mother Parvathi had dedicated to stay there permanently. To accompany her, he also stayed besides her and called as Thandavarayan. Because of the presense of Lord Shiva behind Mother Parvathi, Nandi can be found before the sanctum instead of Lion.
One Ponmeni pledged his land to a money lender named
Makisuran. He worked in the same land to maintain his family. Unscrupulous
Makisuran tortured all the people this way by lending them money and swelled
their liabilities with abnormal compound interest rates. He thus swallowed the
lands of all. He severely beat Ponmeni due to default in payments and demanded
Ponmeni in the presence of villagers to plough the Poongavanam outside the
place in a single night on Shivarathri day before sunrise and threatened to do
with his life if he failed to do so.
Poongavanam is the place of evil spirits. Ponmeni
thought it better to fail and die in a day than dying each day. He began
tilling the land praying to Mother Karumayee. He saw an old man and an aged
woman under a tree. The woman was very thirsty. Ponmeni helped the old man to
fetch water. When they returned, they found the woman disappearing. When
Ponmeni turned to the old man, he also was not there. When Ponmeni resumed his
tilling, he found the plough stuck and the spot began to bleed.
A voice assured him of safety and said “I am Angala
Parameswari who came in the guise of the aged woman. Now, I am an ant-hill
here. Responding to your prayer, I came with Lord Shiva. As my presence had
been made known to the world by you, you will be relieved of poverty, continue
worshipping me and the Lord.” Within a few minutes the anthill became visible.
As the Goddess appeared from Poongavanam, she came to be worshipped as
Poongavanathu Amman.
