Achala Deepeshwarar Temple,
Mohanur – Legends
Achala Deepeswarar:
This
temple is closely related to the deepa worship. A perpetual lamp (deepam)
can be seen in the sanctum. The flame seems to be burning without a flicker and
does not get disturbed by the wind. Hence, Lord Shiva of this temple came to be
called as Achala Deepeswarar (Achalam means not wavering and firm as hill,
deepam means lamp and Eswarar means Lord Shiva). It is believed that Lord Shiva
here is in his meditation posture. Hence, the deepa too is motionless.
Vilwagiri Kshetram:
Once,
the devas went to Mount
Kailash to see Lord Shiva and noticed that Lord Shiva was doing penance
alone without Ganga Devi on his head. The devas enquired about the absence of
Ganga to Lord Murugan. Lord Murugan went in search of her. Searching for her,
Lord Murugan reached Madurai
where Madurai Meenakshi directed him go to this
place. As advised, Lord Murugan reached this
place, yet he could not be able to locate here.
Lord
Murugan was disappointed and decided to perform penance towards Ganga Devi to
locate her. He performed intense penance in Vilwa forest on the banks of
Cauvery river at this
place. Pleased with his penance, Ganga Devi appeared before him. She was so
overwhelmed by his motherly love and hugged him. As she appeared before his son
(Magan in Tamil) Murugan, this place came to be called as Maganur
and later got corrupted to Mohanur.
Further,
she blessed Lord Murugan and informed him that the
place in the Vilwa forest on the banks of the Cauvery where he did penance
will become a holy place. Thus, the
place came to be called as Vilwagiri Kshetram. Lord Shiva with his consort
Parvati appeared in front of them and Ganga Devi merged with Parvati to confirm
that she is but a part of Goddess Parvati.
Kumarayee:
During
ancient times, there was only Shiva temple in the
temple complex. A lady named Kumarayee, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva was
selling curd for her livelihood in this place. She used to offer the remaining
curd which were not sold as nivedhana to Lord Shiva and consumed it then. She
became pregnant and delivered a handsome male child. People in the village
suspected her chastity and spoke ill of her. She simply told them that Lord
Shiva knew her purity.
One
day, while bathing in Cauvery river, she merged with Cauvery and came out as
goddess Parvathy from the river and granted darshan to all and made all of them
to knew that she was one who sold the curd in the village. The shrine for goddess
Parvati was built then. As goddess Parvati lived here as Kumarayee, she also
bears that name and Lord Shiva came to be called as Kumareeswarar. As Lord
Shiva was called Kumareeswarar, this
place came to be called as Kumari
Kongu and Kongu
Kumarithurai.
Mahanur:
As per
legend, Lord Murugan left his parents in Mount
Kailash to Palani
angrily as he was not given the divine mango even after the explanations of his
parents. Mother Parvati and Lord Shiva were searching from Lord Murugan to take
him back home. Finally, they found him at this
place. Hence, the
place came to be called as Mahanur
(Mahan means son in Tamil) and later got corrupted to Mohanur.
Bharani Deepam:
As per
legend, Beejavaba Maharshi, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva performed intense
penance on Lord Shiva and used to perform pooja to the Shiva Linga on the banks
of Cauvery river. It is said that he used to light a lamp on the occasion of
Bharani Deepam in the
temple and worship Lord Shiva here. Then he would fly to Tiruvannamalai
and worship Annamalaiyar by lighting deepam in Annamalaiyar
temple and would return to Mohanur.
In memory of this event, Thiru Karthigai Deepam festival is celebrated in this
temple with much fanfare even today. The sculpture of Beejavaba Maharshi
can be seen on a pillar in this
temple.
Mugavanur:
During
ancient times, the people in the region worked as middle men or agents (Mugavar
in Tamil). Hence, the place came to be called as Mugavanur
and later got corrupted to Mohanur.
Mohiniyur:
As per legend, Lord Shiva wanted to have darshan of Mohini, female incarnation of Lord Vishnu at this place. Hence, the place came to be called as Mohiniyur.