Jalanatheeswarar Temple

Sage Theerkadar was born to Sage Udhadhi, the brother of Jupiter (Guru), and Mamathai. He was well-educated and became a scholar. One day, while in his hermitage, he saw the divine cow Kamadenu. Theerkadar requested Kamadenu to accompany him and assist in a yajna he was about to conduct. However, Kamadenu informed him that she could not comply without Lord Indira’s permission. When the sage attempted to tie her, Kamadenu cursed him to become an ordinary, blind man, destined to spend his life performing menial tasks (“sandalan” in Tamil). In retaliation, Theerkadar cursed Kamadenu to lose her divine powers and become an ordinary cow.

Sage Udhadhi, saddened by his son’s plight, sought guidance from Maharishi Naradha. Following the advice, he came to this place and worshipped Lord Jalanatheeswarar. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Shiva appeared and instructed the sage to pray to Nandhi and bring water from the holy Ganges to the temple. Shiva further advised him to perform an abishekam with the Ganges water.

To fulfill Lord Shiva's command, Sage Udhadhi installed a separate Shiva Lingam and Nandhi near the Jalanatheeswarar temple and began his penance. This Shiva Lingam is praised as Sri Gangadhareswarar, and the temple is now known as the Sri Gangadhareswarar Temple. The goddess of the temple is named Sri Mohanavalli.

It is believed that Nandhi, pleased with Sage Udhadhi's penance, created a tank near the temple and filled it with water from the Ganges. Nandhi is said to have channeled the water through his mouth.

Following this, Sage Udhadhi performed the abishekam to Lord Jalanatheeswarar using the holy water, completing his worship. He named the Lord as “Thiruvooral Easwarar” and advised his son, Theerkadar, to take a dip in the tank and pray to Lord Shiva. After doing so, Theerkadar was believed to have been relieved from Kamadenu's curse.

Another legend associated with this temple is that Goddess Parvathi, after being insulted at her father Dakshan’s yagna, returned to this place. It is believed that she installed a lingam made of sand here as part of her penance. During her penance, the region was inundated by floodwaters. To protect the lingam, Goddess Parvathi embraced it, and the markings of this embrace can still be seen on the idol.

Since the lingam is believed to have been embraced by Goddess Parvathi, it is not touched by human hands. Poojas are performed by the priests without physically touching the lingam.

Another legend associated with this temple is about King Sivathithan, who ruled Thiruvural and was troubled by the demon Thakkan. The king prayed to Lord Shiva of this temple, who instructed Goddess Kali to destroy the demon. Goddess Kali followed Lord Shiva's orders and killed Thakkan. For this reason, there is a separate shrine dedicated to Goddess Kali at the border of the temple, which attracts a large number of devotees. It is believed that Thakkan cried loudly before his demise, and this place came to be known as Thakkan Olam or Thakkolam, with “Olam” meaning "crying loudly."

Another reason for the name "Thakkolam" is the sacred tree of the temple, also called "Thakkolam" (Pottu).

An alternate version of the legend states that Thakkan, after conducting a grand yagna, invited all the celestial gods except Lord Shiva. To teach him a lesson, Lord Shiva instructed Veerabathrar to disrupt the yagna. Veerabathrar stopped the yagna and punished Thakkan by removing his head and replacing it with a goat’s head. Realizing his mistake, Thakkan prayed to Lord Shiva for pardon. Shiva advised him to go to the riverbank and invite Lords Vinayakar, Mahavishnu, and Brahma to witness his prayers. Upon Thakkan’s request, the three deities arrived. Since Thakkan's head had been replaced with a goat's head, his prayers sounded like the bleating of a goat. These prayers are known as "Chamakam," with each line ending with the syllable "may." Pleased with Thakkan’s prayers, Lord Shiva granted him salvation (moksha).

1. Worshipped by Kamadenu :

Kamadenu, the divine cow, is also believed to have worshipped the lord at this temple by pouring milk on the lingam. Through this act, she was relieved from Theerkadar’s curse and regained her original form and divine powers. Upon learning of her restoration, Lord Indiran is believed to have come to Thiruvooral and took Kamadenu back to the celestial world.

1. Worshipped by others :

It is believed that Sage Samvartha, along with Lords Mahavishnu, Indiran, Suryan, Chandran, Yama (the lord of death), the Saptha Kannikas (the seven divine virgins), the Pandavas, and Savitha Sivachariyar, have all worshipped the Lord of this temple to seek absolution for their sins.