Maragathaleswaraswami Temple - Thiruengoimalai |
Thiruengoimalai
Arulmigu
Maragathaleswaraswami Temple lies 40 km from Tiruchirappalli
and 5 kms from Musiri, Taluk headquarters in
Tiruchirappalli District. Thiruengoimalai lies between Musiri and
Thottiam.The hillock is otherwise called Maragathamalai /Thenkailayam
/Sivasakthimalai /Malaikovil / Erattimalai. Name of the Goddess
is Maragathambigai / Maragathavalli. God is also named as Aragathasalanathar/
Malaikozhnthar / Achutheeswarar / Birameswarar / Indreekarar /
Threethar.
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The river
cauvery passes nearby the hillock.The river 'Surpanathi' passes adjoining
the hillock. The river is otherwise called Kondayurumarai or Kondamarai.
The name is said to be a corruption of Thiru-i-ongaimalai ('the' holy
high bees 'mountains')and to have been so called because the sage Agastya
, finding the gates of the Siva temple closed one evening, turned himself
into a bee and so obtained entrance to perform his worship. The lingam
of the temple is said to be transparent and also to throw a green shadow
when camphor is burned. It is therefore called the 'emerald' (marakata)
lingam.The god is connected with the deities of kadambarkovil and Ratnagiri.
At all three temples special poojas are performed in Kartigai and the
Taipusam day. Devaram songs will be sung in temple. At the base of the
temple lies Bogar Sidhatemple. 500 vertical steps leads to the temple
at the top of the hillock. Poet Nakkeerar has sung a booklet named Engoi-Elupathu
( 70 Engoi songs).