DHINAM ORU KOVIL -285.

SRI.VEEZHINATHESWARAR TEMPLE, TIRUVEEZHIMIZHALAI, Tiruvarur Dt.

This temple of Lord Shiva is situated in Tiruveezhimizhalai lying on the way to
Thenkarai from Poonthottam village. The chief deity is Sri. Veezhinatheswarar, the
procession deity being Sri.KalyanaSundareswarar. Goddess is
Sri.Sundarakujambigai. Holy tree is Veezhi, theertham being Vishnu Theertham.
Temple dates back to 1000-2000 years. Lord of the temple has been glorified by
Appar,Sundarar & Gnanasambandar. This is the 61 st temple on the southern banks
of Cauvery praised in Thevaram hymns. Lord Shiva is a Swayambumoorthy here.
There is a Paathaala Nandhi in this temple and it looks as if the whole temple rests
on this Nandhi. Lord graces in the guise of a bridegroom and hence called Mapillai
Swamy. There is a Lingam near flag mast. There is a huge Mantapam with sculptural
works called Vavall Nandhi Mantapam.
Pleased with the severe penance of Muni Kathyayana and his wife for a child,
Mother Parvathi Herself was born to them. When she grew into a marriageable age,
the sage prayed to Shiva that He should marry her. Responding to his prayer, Lord
Shiva took the hands of Parvathi on the Magam Star day in the month of Chithirai
(April-May). The sage also requested the Lord to give darshan to all, all days in the
same Wedding Form. The Lord appears in the sanctum Sanctorum in the Wedding
Form.
Once this place was dense with many trees, sandal, shenbagam, Jack and Vila all
collectively called Veezhi. A hunter named Mizhalai Kurumbar was a devotee of
Lord Shiva and offered him the Vila fruit for nivedhana. Pleased with his devotion,
the Lord taught him the 8 great lessons called Ashtamasiddhi. The Vizha fruit is still
found at the feet of the Lord in the temple. Hence, the place came to be known as
Thiru+Veezhi+Mizhalai. A combination of the names of the fruit and the devout
hunter.
Thiruveezhimizhalai once passed through a dry period with severe famine.
Gnanasambandar and Tirunavukkarasar prayed to the Lord with their hymns to tide
over the famine condition and restore fertility in the land. The Lord gave each a
gold coin each day as promised by Him in their dreams to buy food and feed the
suffering people. He gave the coin to Gnanasambandar on the eastern side and the
other at the western side to Tirunavukkarasar. This is called Padikkasu (allowance
money as we call it now) and this peetam also is still in the temple.
It so happened that demon Chalandaran took off the disc of Vishnu. He went to Lord
Shiva to get it back from him. Lord Shiva told Lord Vishnu that He was then among
the Veezhi plants in Earth and that he had to worship him there to get back the disc.
Vishnu came to this place, made a pond in his name and worshipped Shiva with this
theertham and lotus flowers. Yet it was short by one flower which Vishnu made up
by taking off his own eye to worship Shiva. From this day onwards, the practice of

offering eye symbols carved in silver, gold or copper came into being. Lord Shiva
pleased with the puja of Vishnu gave him back His disc. The eye offered by Vishnu
is still at the feet of Lord Shiva.
I am yet to visit this temple.