Janagai Mariamman Temple, Sholavandan – Legends
Cholavandan:
There is
a popular local myth, that a war between Chola and the Pandya kingdoms, resulted in the name. The
invading Chola king, apparently got a sense of reverence and awe, seeing the
intensive agriculture and scenic beauty of the village, irrigated by the Vaigai
river; which reminded him of the Cauvery
Delta region. He abandoned the war.
The town was then named as Cholavandan (Cholan+Uvandan). Uvandan means getting
awed, in Tamil. The place reminded him agriculturally prosperous
famous Tanjore villages: and called this town as Chinna Thanjai.
Renukadevi:
The
story of the temple is closely associated with Renukadevi, wife of Sage
Jamadagni. She delayed fetching water for the pujas of her sage husband, as she
stood wondering the handsomeness of a Gandharva reflected in the river water.
Knowing this through his wisdom eye, the sage suspected her fidelity and asked
his son Parasurama to chop off her head. Son did it and brought the head to his
sage father. Pleased with his obedience, the sage asked Parasurama his wish.
The son
wanted his mother back alive. Jamadagni chanted some mantras in the water,
asked the son to spill the same after fixing the head in the body. In his
haste, Parasurama fixed his mother’s head with a wrong body and gave it life.
The wrong body became a demon woman with all fury. Softening the fury of the
demon woman, she became the goddess of the village praised as Chandana Mari
blessing the devotees in her standing posture.
