ilangailai nayagi sametha kruththivaasar (veerateswarar), varuvoor
location
varuvoor is a small village 9 kms to the south of mayavaram close to the thiruvarur road. its about half a km to the left from the road if coming from thiruvarur.
a really big temple with 3 prakarams with gaja samhara murthy as the iconic deity of the temple.
sthalapuranam
once upon a time, gradually the rishis of the taruka vanam started slipping away from the path of the Sanatana. they were more and more into tantrik rituals despising the supreme lord himself. Lord Shiva decided to teach them a lesson.
he and Vishnu took the form of a beautiful man and women and entered the tharuka vanam. shiva took the form of bikshaadhanar and vishnu , Mohini. tranced by the appearance, the Rishi patni’s started following the lord and Rishi’s, Mohini.
After a while they realised that the two were there to divert them from their ways. they became angry and performed a yagnya called aabhichaaram and sent a demon in the form of elephant. The raakshas In the form of elephant known as gajamukaasuran came toward the lord with the intent to kill. shiva however took the form of a small child and entered the womb of the elephant.
Hence the name kruththivasan. kruththi – womb and vasan – living. shiva came out piercing the stomach of the elephant and peeled the skin to wear as an ornament.
the elephant fell on the North Western side of the pond that is right outside the temple. Lord came out on the South Western side. the name gaja-samhaara-moorthy was attributed to this form.
In the meantime Parvati was worried about the disappearance of the Lord. she held Murugan in her hips just like a mom would hold a child and came searching. Karthikeyan then showed his mother that the father appeared on the south western side of the pond. This is is depicted inside the temple.
other details from legend
Varuvoor is a thevara vaipu thalam sung by appar.
Said to be the birthplace of iyyanar aka sastha !!
Varuvoor is one among the eight veerattanams meaning places where the lord performed samharam. places where samharam is performed is linked to the valour expressed. Veer + attam = valour at 8 places . The other seven being kandiyur, thirukkadaiyur, thiruvadhigai, thirukkoviloor, parasalur and korukkai.
