Temple History
The temple has very rich background of history. According to the ancient annals, Daksha a powerful ruler of the Himalaya mountains, arranged to conduct a mommath YAGA. But he ignored to invite Lord Shiva, his son-in-law. On that occasion. He actually slighted Lord Shiva by refusing to extend invitation to his son-in-law. However, Parvathi, the consort of the lord and the daughter of Daksha planned to visit her father and advise him not to insult her husband but to honour him, by sending specific invitation. But the Lord refused to her permission to call on her father, as he was afraid that Daksha would insult Parvathi also. Notwithstanding this injunction, parvathi went to Yaga. Her action angered him. He also suffered from the feeling of separation. He wanted to teach Daksh a bitter lesson. With this view, he climbed down to the earth. He put his left leg on the RAJA KAMBEERA Mountain (near where we have this temple). The mountian was unable to bear the excessive heat coming form the Lord. It began to burn and also to submerge slowly into the earth. Therefore the Lord wanted avoid this further and he put his right leg on the grounds of ADIANNAMALAI, which is near Tiruvanamalai. His foot marks are imprinted on the tank of Adiannamalai. The mountain on which he put his left is called MITHI MALAI. Even now his foot prints could be seen on this mountain. The devotees going to PADAVEDU, via Santhavasal and Kalvasal, particularly seek the spot where the foot prints are stamped and pay their homage to it. The mountian which received his right eg, “AdiAnamamal”, continues as a very famous place of worship.
Actually his anger would have caused a great calamity to the earth, because of his anger and subsequent production pf excessive heat generated. Fortunately GANGADEVI, intervened in time. She prayed to her brother, “Lord Vishnu” to prevent the porbable calamity by pouring immeasurable quantity of water on the burning mountain. Lord Vishnu accepted to her request and he arranged seven tanks around Raja Kambeera Mountain and doused the devesting fire, and saved the earth. Those seven tanks are still in use of the public in that area.
They are known as
1. PERUMAL Tank, 2. UTRU PERUMAL Tank,
3. KATTU PERUMAL Tank, 4. VANIYA PERUMAL Tank,
5. KOMUTTI PERUMAL Tank, 6. KUTTA KARAI Tank, 7. VERUM Tank.
Ganga Devi profusely thanked he brother and made arrangements to worship him. She chose a place for worshipping. Later she built a temple for her brother in the same place of worship. Subsequently a temple was built in her honor in the same area. Unfortunately both the templates are now in dilapidated condition. Another feature of this phemenon, the people celebrate karthigai festival here by lighting lamps on the Raja Kambeera Mountain, as done on Tiruvanamalai. But the God on whom this event this event is celebrated is Lord Vishnu. This is quite different from the age old custom, under which Lord Shiva only was worshipped on that sacred day. In Raja Kambeera Mountain Lord Vishnu is honored on that day, perhaps as a token of their gratitude to Vishnu for saving from the wrath of Lord Shiva.