The legend narrates the story of Goddess Parvati doing penance to appease Lord Shiva and how he tested her before accepting her as his wife. While Goddess Parvati was engrossed in her meditation under a mango tree, Lord Shiva sent fire to disturb her. The goddess prayed to Lord Vishnu to prevent any break in her penance from the fire. Next, Lord Shiva sent Goddess Ganga for the same purpose. Goddess Parvati prayed to Goddess Ganga that they are sisters and that she should be protected. Goddess Parvati made a Shiva Lingam out of the sand and she united with Lord Shiva who emerged from the Lingam. Therefore, the presiding deity of the this temple is also known as Ekambareswarar, meaning Lord of Mango tree (Eka-Amar-Natha). The path to the tree has a Shiva Lingam made of around 1008 small lingas.
There’s another story relating to the Ekambareswarar Temple. While Goddess Parvati meditated on the Prithvi Lingam under the Mango tree, the neighboring Vegavati river overflew and threatened to engulf the Prithvi Lingam. In order to protect the lingam, Goddess Parvati embraced it. Pleased by her devotion, he appeared before her and married her.
2) BRAHMA, VISHNU AND SHIVA MERGED INTO ONE
Suchindram temple is unique in the whole of India in respect to the fact that is dedicated to the Trimurthis- Brahma,Vishnu & Shiva represented by one image or Linga in the sanctum and is called Thanumalayan. The linga is in three parts. The top represents “Sthanu” name of Siva, the middle “Mal” name of Vishnu, and the base “Aya” name of Brahma. One of the legends of Suchindram is related to chastity of Anasuya, wife of Sage Atri. The legend says that the trimurtis appeared in front of Anasuya as begging brahmins. When she was about to serve they imposed a condition that they would eat only if she served them naked. Through the power of her chastity she converted the three Gods into babies and suckled them. On the plea of Godesses, Anasuya restored the dieties. On the same spot a linga sprouted which still exists.
3) EAGLES EAT SWEET KHICHDI
Vedagiriswarar temple is a Hindu temple located in Tirukalukundram (also known as Thirukazhukundram), Tamil Nadu, India. Thirukalukundram is one of the most famous pilgrim centres in Tamilnadu, renowned for its Hill Temple ad Sangu Theertham. It is named after the sacred Eagles who visit every noon at the Hill Temple called Pakshi Theertham and the Kailash of South India. ‘Kazhugu’ in Tamil means ‘eagle’ and ‘kundram’ the ‘hill’, hence the name of the place Tiru Kazhu Kundram. Even today two eagles visit the temple every day to accept the sweet rice offered to them. To watch these eagles taking the food is a rare experience. After a darshan of Vedagiriswarar, devotees eagerly await the arrival of the eagles just before noon. They wait in large numbers at a shed specially erected for the purpose. After cleaning a particular spot on the adjacent boulder, the temple priest sits down, with the food (sakkarai pongal). Two eagles, after circling around temple top, come near the priest walking. They eat the balls of rice and after cleaning their beaks in the water kept in a small vessel nearby, take off, circle around the tower again and fly off. This has been going on for centuries now. Many tales are told about the visit of the two eagles. Two rishis (sages) — Pusha and Vidhadha were cursed by Lord Siva to become eagles, for some indiscretion. It is believed that these are the two eagles that visit Thirukazhukundram daily for time immemorial, in order to worship Siva and to obtain salvation from His curse. It is said that after a bath in the Ganges in the morning, they come here at noon for food, reach Rameswaram in the evening for darshan and return to Chidambaram for the night. Legend says they would regain their original form and attain moksha (salvation) at the end of Kali Yuga. Hence this place derived the name `Tirukazhu(gu)kundram’ (the hill of the sacred eagles) and also Pakshi Thirtham (in Sanskrit), meaning “water made Holy by the visit of birds”.
This is also the place where Saint Sundarar got gold from Lord. Vedas are in the form of this hill. Crores of Rudras and Siddhas performed penance and attained salvation here. The environment is so suitable for those to do meditation peacefully. The glory of the place and Lord of the temple are praised by Saivite saints, Pattinathar and great poets.
4) FEMALE VINAYAKA
Images of Vigneswari (a feminine form of Vinayaka) is also enshrined in the Thanumalayan Temple in Suchindram. While Vinayaka appears with an elephant head and a human body, Vigneswari is seen with the elephant head and a female body. She is worshipped in the Sukhasana pose. Here, Goddess Vigneswari is considered as a form of Shakti, rather a Yogini Devata.
5) GHEE TURNS TO BUTTER
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple, also known as Gavipuram Cave Temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity, Lord Shiva and is a famous ancient cave temple located in Hulimavu, Bannerghatta Road in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. The temple is renowned due to a significant and almost magical phenomenon that occurs in the temple every year on a particular day in the month of January. It is unique & one of its kind because it is known that if one offers ghee in this temple and the priests apply the ghee on the Shiva lingam & rub on it, then the ghee turns into butter miraculously, No technology can convert ghee back to butter yet, but here it’s possible, Infact many devotees carry ghee from their homes to the temple & watch it turn into butter. The whole thing happens in front of one’s eyes only.
Apart from the wonderful phenomenon, the temple also stands as a glaring example of the marvelous Indian rock-cut architecture.
6) KERALA’S OLDEST SHIVALINGAM
This is the first Shiva temple created by Lord Parasurama. Shiva here is more popularly known as Vadakkunnathan. Vadakkunnathan Temple is situated at the heart of Thrissur city. The name Thrissur is derived from ‘Thiru-Shiva-Peroor’, which literally translates to “The city of the sacred Shiva”. Thrissur was also known as Vrishabhadripuram, Vrishachala and Thenkailasam or Dakshina Kailasam (Kailasa of the south) in ancient days. Shiva is worshipped in the form of a huge lingam, which is covered under a mound of ghee, formed by the daily abhishekam (ablution) with ghee over the years. A devotee looking into the sanctum can now see only a 16-foot-high (4.9 m) mound of ghee embellished with thirteen cascading crescents of gold and three serpent hoods on top. According to traditional belief, this represents the snow-clad Mount Kailash, the abode of Shiva and Parvati. This is the only temple where the lingam is not visible. It is said that the ghee offered here for centuries does not have any foul odour and it does not melt even in the hot tropical climate of Kerala or with the heat of the hundreds of bright oil lamps burning nearby. Small scrappings of this solidified ghee are given to devotees as ‘Prasada’, which is believed to have medicinal and curative properties.
7) LORD ROBERT CLIVE, A VISHNU DEVOTEE
Varadharaja Perumal Temple at Kanchipuam, Tamil Nadu, dedicated to Lord Vishnu is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu believed to have been visited by the 12 poet saints, or Azhwars. This temple of great antiquity is also famous for the unique distinction of possessing Magarakanthi – grand necklace purported to have been gifted by none other than Robert Clive, the man who built the foundation for the British Empire. We know that he took up the first job in East India company at Madras (Chennai) and rose from a lowly clerical position to a powerful post by dint of hard work, intelligence and superior quality of administrative and military leadership without the advantage or the luxury of good English education unlike other English offers .
Being a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, the gift by Robert to the Hindu temple at Kanchipuram was accepted with grand celebration and the deity is adorned with the grand necklace on certain festival days like Brahmotsavam, etc.
One says that Robert took part in a battle near Kanchipuram on the way back from Tiruchinopoly, to relieve the town and in the war he had a narrow escape from near death when a canon fell near him. After his safe return, he had, therefore, made the gift to the temple.
Another Clive biographer claims that Robert Clive caught in a severe thunderstorm took shelter in the Varadaraja Perumal temple where he fell ill seriously. He miraculously recovered the following day after his prayer to the deity in the temple. It is likely as a token of his gratitude to the Hindu God, he made the gift to the Vishnu temple.
8) NO SALT FOR THIS GOD
In this temple Salt is not allowed inside the temple & neither is it used in any food preparations, as the lord had promised that he would partake food without salt in this sthalam. But surprisingly, the temple prasadams like Puliyogara (tamarind rice), Pongal (rice & pulses kichdi), Dhadhyonnam (curd rice) etc taste just as it would if salt were to be added, when you eat it you realise that there is no salt, but you won’t miss the taste. This temple Perumal is considered to be the Annan (elder brother) of Tirupati balaji, if you are unable to visit Tirupati, visiting this temple & offerings to the hundi is considered to be the same as visiting Tirupati. This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desam temples of Vishnu. Oppliliappan Kovil is around 5kms from Kumbakonam Tamil Nadu.
9) NO VAIKUNTA DWARAM IN SRIRANGAM
Every Vishnu temple has a door called Vaikunta Dwaram, which is opened only on two days, Vaikunta Ekadasi & Vaikunta Dwadasi. It is believed that anybody (whether a sinner or a sage) having darshan on these days through this door means entering Vaikuntam & attaining moksha. But Srirangam does not have a Vaikunta Dwaram because this temples is in itself Booloka Vaikuntam (Heaven on Earth). Srirangam is the first & foremost among the 108 Divya Desam temples of Vishnu.
10) RAMA HOLDING SEETA’S HAND
In the Erikaatha Raama temple, Madhuranthagam, we can see Lord Raama holding Seetha’s hands, Now you may wonder what’s so unique, Well, just think of any God, any temple, can you recollect any God holding his Consort’s hand! Another legend says that during the British colonial times, the water level in the Maduranthagam reservoir (which incidentally supplies drinking water to Chennai) was in the verge of being breached. And the British governor of Chennai had supposedly prayed in this temple for the safety of the place. And the god obliged. Hence the name Eri kaatha Raamar Eri=lake/reservoir & Kaatha=safegauarding. Madhuranthagam is near Chennai, Tamil Nadu.