Rathnagiriswarar Temple,
Ayyarmalai – Religious Significance
Indra worshipping Lord Shiva here daily:
It is still believed that Indra
used to come and worship Lord through 9 holes opposite to Moolavar in the form
of thunder & lightning. To prove that the garland and vastra of
Moolavar can be seen burnt on the next day even these years. The abishekam
milk will turn to curd.
Meditation place:
It is believed that rishis are
meditating in the hill, to prove that there are number of natural caves in this
hill shrine.
Snake Bit:
It is a belief that If snakes
present in this hill bit also doesn’t cause harm to the devotees.
No Crow fly over this hill:
The other surprise here is, that
no crow flies on the hill. Tradition has it that once a crow upset the milk
bowl of a devotee and got burnt. From then no crow flies on the hill.
Significance of Thai Poosam:
The Thai Poosa Tiruvizha
(festival) is celebrated on a grand scale. Rathnagiriswarar & Mother Karumbarkuzhalil
give darshan at the banks of the Cauvery along with the idols from the
surrounding temples - Pettaivaithalai, Rajendiram, Kulithalai, Thiruengoimalai,
Karuppathur, Musiri and Vellur. It is a rare opportunity for the devotees to
worship 8 Lord Shiva’s simultaneously.
Mukthi Sthalam:
There is a belief that devotees
are ensured of Mukthi if they worship Kadambar at this temple in the morning,
followed by Ayyarmalai Rathnagiriswarar and Thiruengoimalai Nathar in the
evening of the same day.
Cauvery Waters for Pooja:
Lord Shiva of this Temple is
lustrated with waters of the Cauvery brought here every day by members of the
Aryaraja community. They travel by bike to the Cauvery, eight kilometres away,
and then walk back with the filled pot on their head, climb up the hill to
empty the water into a large cauldron.
Devadasi Tradition:
The temple was once home to a
thriving Devadasi tradition and must have therefore been a venue for much music
and dance. This survived till the 1930s or so as is evident from the memoirs of
Dr TSS Rajan, the freedom fighter and sometime member of the 1937 Rajaji
Ministry.
Miracle of unboiled milk turning to Curd:
The unboiled milk used for
abishek does not go stale till the evening though some dust from the incense
sticks fall on the milk. Instead, it becomes a good curd the next morning. This
is a miracle that could be seen only in this temple.