The ancient temple of Tiruppaachilasramam, located in the historical Mazhava region, is steeped in a fascinating legend centered around the miraculous healing of the king's daughter. According to the tale, Kolli-Mazhavan, the reigning monarch of the area, was deeply troubled by his daughter's affliction with an intractable form of epilepsy. Despite exhausting all available medical treatments and remedies, the king found himself at a loss, unable to alleviate his beloved child's suffering. In a last resort, the king's advisors counseled him to entrust his daughter's well-being to the divine and asked him to take her to the temple. Serendipitously, it was during this time that the revered saint Tirugyanasambandhar arrived at Tiruppaachilasramam as part of his pilgrimage to various sacred sites. The king approached Sambandhar and implored him to heal his ailing daughter. Moved by compassion, Gyanasambandhar composed and sang a pathikam, a devotional hymn, in honor of God Shiva. Miraculously, as the divine verses filled the air, the king's daughter was instantaneously cured of her debilitating illness and Shiva transformed the disease into a serpent and performed his cosmic dance upon it. This extraordinary event is commemorated in the temple's unique depiction of Nataraja. Unlike the customary representation where Nataraja dances upon the demon Muyalakan, here, He is portrayed dancing atop a serpent, symbolizing his triumph over the king's daughter's affliction. To this day, devotees seeking relief from nervous debility, rheumatism, epilepsy, 'Sarpa Dosha' (astrological afflictions caused by serpents), and menstrual disorders flock to this temple, believing in the curative powers of the presiding deity. Within the temple complex, the 'Avudayapillai Mandap,' an enclosure named after an individual called Avudaya Pillai, houses intricate artwork that vividly depicts the moment when Sambandhar miraculously healed the king's daughter.
The presiding deity of this temple is venerated as Matrurai Varadhar and according to the captivating tale behind this nomenclature, Sundarar arrived here seeking gold from the resident deity. In a profound test of Sundarar's faith and devotion, the god initially withheld the requested boon, leading to Sundarar's impassioned composition of a pathikam that boldly questioned the very existence of God Shiva. Ultimately, Sundarar's unwavering dedication was rewarded with a bag of gold, yet doubt lingered in his mind regarding the purity of the precious metal. As if by divine providence, two merchants appeared before Sundarar, offering to assess the gold's authenticity by rubbing it against a stone. The first merchant meticulously examined the gold, assuring Sundarar of its flawless quality, while the second merchant affirmed his companion's judgment, further solidifying Sundarar's trust. In a breathtaking moment of revelation, the merchants vanished, and the awestruck Sundarar was enlightened by the deity himself, disclosing that the first merchant was none other than God Shiva himself, accompanied by Mahavishnu in the guise of the second merchant. This extraordinary event, wherein the deity personally validated the gold's purity by rubbing it against a rough stone, forever enshrined the deity with the revered title 'Matrurai Varadhar'.
The Thiruvasi temple, boasts a magnificent five-tiered Rajagopuram and two spacious courtyards. At the heart of the temple, the presiding deity is enshrined as a self-manifested Swayambhu Linga, sheltered beneath an ornate Rudraksha Pandal. Directly below the towering Rajagopuram stands the Nandi, accompanied by his consort. The temple also features a unique Navagraha sannidhi, where Surya, the Sun god is depicted flanked by his wives, Usha and Pratyusha, while the remaining planets are positioned facing him in reverence. According to local legend, Goddess Parvathy, born as the daughter of a merchant named Kamalan in Thiruvasi, undertook rigorous penance and ultimately wed God Shiva. She is venerated in this temple under the name Balambikai, with the 'Artha Jama puja', the concluding ritual of the day, first performed in her honor. A sannidhi for Selva Vinayaka is located opposite the sannidhi of the female deity and the sacred 'Annamam Poikai' Theertham lies in close proximity. Two enigmatic Dwarapalakiyars stand sentinel before the Goddess's sannidhi, invoked by unmarried women seeking suitable grooms and those facing obstacles to marriage. Childless couples also offer cradles to the Dwarapalakiyars, believing that their requests will reach the Goddess through these divine guardians. The temple ritual of offering milk abhishekam to the Goddess Balambika is believed to alleviate any ill effects associated with 'Balarishta Dosha', a kind of "death" or "adversity" (arishta) that can affect a person during their infancy or childhood.
TiruGyanaSambandhar, Sundara Murthy Nayanar, and Iyadigal Kaadavarkon have all praised the merits of this deity within their respective compositions. The festival known as 'Vaikasi Visakam' involves the celebration of 'Tiru Ther,' which features the procession of the deity in a grand chariot. Daily worship is structured around four distinct 'Kaala Pujas,' or periods of reverence. It is believed that those who engage in worship of the Natarajar at this temple for a continuous span of 48 days may experience relief from chronic ailments such as incurable diseases, digestive issues, gallstones, and arthritis. Additionally, devotees hold the conviction that performing worship of Vailaivaradeswarar on Mondays, accompanied by the lighting of a lamp infused with ghee, will lead to an enhancement of their financial circumstances.
5 Tiered Tower
The Vimana
DakshinaMurthy
Artha Nareeswar
Brahma
Narthana Vinayaka
Durga