Vaitheeswaran Koil Temple

Brahmotsavam (annual festival) is celebrated during the Tamil calendar months of Pankuni and Thai (January–February). Karthigai festival during November is also celebrated with pomp and glory. Kantha Sashti, a festive occasion for Subramanya, is celebrated in the shrine of Muthukumaraswamy.

As Chevvai is attired in red colour, he is offered with Thoor dhal and red arali flowers during Poojas. Besides, Milagu (Pepper) and Salt with Jaggery are offered in the Siddhamritam to get rid of diseases. Offerings of unrefined sugar are also placed here.

Tuesdays are preferred for the worship of Angaraka. If one observes the fast on Tuesday for 21 times, the unlucky influence of Tuesday (Mangal) can be got relieved. Generally, six worship services are offered daily.

Devotees take a holy dip in the temple tank before worshipping Vaitheeswaran in the temple. It is also a local belief that dissolving jaggery (Tamil:vellam) in the waters cures skin diseases. Tonsure ceremony of getting children shaved for the first time to promote proper growth is a very common practise. Mavilaku ma (litting lamp in rice cakes) is a form of worship practised. The practise of jamming salt and pepper in front of the temple mast and the pot near the temple tank is also followed.

Unlike other temples in South India, where each shrine has a priest, each priest in the temple associates themselves with the devotees and performs worship on their behalf. The holy soil rounded with ash (called Thiruchandu Urundai) is treated as medicine and believed to cure all the diseases. Another medicine given is chandan (sandalwood powder) with saffron. Devotees also donate carved silver plated body organs in the Hundi (vessel for offering) to cure the diseases.

Here Shiva is worshipped only after the midnight pujas are offered to Muthukumarasamy. On the evenings of each Tuesday, Chevvai comes round the temple, seated up on the goat.

Info on the deity – Specific to the temple deity

Shiva is worshipped as Vaitheeswaran or the “God of healing” and it is believed that prayers to Vaitheeswaran can cure diseases. His consort is Thaiyalnaayaki ambal. Thaiyalnaayaki is seen carrying the “Sanjeevi Thailam”, the medicinal oil for all illness.

Once, one of the nine planets, Angaraka (Mars) was suffering from leprosy and was cured by Lord Vaidhyanathaswamy. Hence, it is believed that a bath in the holy waters of the Siddhamirtham tank will cure all diseases.

Angaraka or Mangal (Planet Mars) worship is of great importance here and this is the uniqueness of this temple. Also known as Sevvai or Chevvai, the bronze image of Angaraka is placed in this shrine.

Chevvai Bhagavan has two wives; Malini and Susilini. Chevvai is the Lord of Mesha and Vrichika Rasi and he faces South direction. The Adi Devatha is Boomidevi; Prathyathi Devatha is Kshetra Balagan; his colour is red and his vahana is the ram. Chevvai rids upon the Annam bird. He is of reddish form. His seat in triangular. Chevvai dev’s flag has a goat as the emblem. His golden Chariot is pulled by eight horses. Chevvai is of great austerity. His body is the flame of yoga, he is skilled in all the subtler arts. Chevvai is to the south of Suriyan. His demeanour is smiling and pleasant; he has four arms, three of which have weapons of war and one shows a posture of harbourage. It is also told that Chevvai and Lord Muruga and not different. His other names are: Angaraha, Kuja, Bowman and Bhumiputhran. The grain associated with him is thuvarai; the flowers – shenbagam and red arali; fabric – red cloth; gem – coral; food- rice mixed with toor dhal powder.

Chevvai is the Lord of Aries and Scorpio, the period of his influence is seven years. He is propitiated for the troubles associated with one’s siblings for the repayment of loans associated with house and land, for the cure of the rheumatism and arthritis, for the removal of hurdles which obstruct marriage, for the healing up wounds, injuries, tumours and fractures. Chevvai is propitiated by prayers to Lord Murugan by wearing a red dress and the Gem stone Pavazha, fasting on Tuesdays. Chevvai grants land, valour, strength and happiness to his devotee. He also makes a man large-hearted, courageous, and unswerving in his purpose.

The Chevvai dosham (malefic effect) caused by unfavourable position of Angarakan or Chevvai in the horoscope may manifest as aggressiveness, tendency to get into unnecessary arguments or jealousy in the native. It can also result in loss of money, physical injury or even imprisonment. Chevvai dosham is rectified by performing parihara poojas (appeasement poojas) to this deity. Devotees may perform Angaraka Pooja to get rid of financial crisis. Worshipping Chevvai here helps in neutralizing the negative effects. Offerings of red cloth and Bengal gram or kadalai paruppu are made to Chevvai here. Tuesdays are special days here as Chevvai is associated with that day of the week.

Lord Subramanya, a very important deity here, is known as Selva Muthukumaraswamy. It is to be noted that Chevvai is ruled by Lord Subramanya. During Lord Subramanya’s fight with Tharakasuran – brother of Surapadman – there was a lot of casualty on both sides leaving many dead and injured. Lord Shiva obliged Lord Subramnya’s prayer to treat the injured.

Lord Muruga is worshipped here as Selvamuthukumaraswamy (Selva Muthukumara Swamy). The temple also has a shrine dedicated to Lord Dhanvantari or Dhanwantari, an avatar of Lord Vishnu and the God of Ayurvedic medicine. Another important feature of the temple is the shrine dedicated to Jvaraharesvara (Lord of Fevers). There are around eighteen theerthams (holy tanks) seen here, out of which the Siddhamirtham tank is of most important one. The nectar with which the Sidhas worshipped Lord Shiva is said to have flown into this theertham.

There is also a shrine dedicated to Dhanwantari here. The prasadam offered at this temple is Thiruchaandu Urundai placed at the Thaiyalnayaki shrine and distributed. Another prasadam offered here is sandal paste referred to as Nettirapidi Chandanam. Lord Shiva in this temple is swayambumurthi.