Sri Valeswara Swamy Temple - Ramagiri
The primary deity of the temple is Sri Valeeswara Swamy,
and the main idol is also referred to as Sri Kala Bhairavar and Santhana
Praapthi Bhairavar. Here, Vaaleeswarar appears as a Shiva Linga that tilts
slightly north. The other deity of the temple is Bhairavar. The main sanctum
sanctorum of this unique temple is a towering, majestic idol of Bhairavar. The dog is the vaahan for Bhairav, hence you can find the idol of a dog in front of the
main shrine.
Sri Valeeswarar Swamy Temple
Shiv Linga idol was pulled by the tail of Hanuman, it got the name
Vaaleeswarar. In the Tamil language, “Vaal” means “tail” and Vaalam is the Sanskrit
word for Tail. The Lord is an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The temple is a West
facing temple with Pallava architecture. There is no Raja Gopuram or
Dwajasthambham (flag post) for the temple. This temple is basically divided
into two divisions. The first division has Bhairavar as the main deity whereas
the second division has Shiva Linga named Vaaleeswarar as the main deity.
The corridor surrounding the
Bhairavarshrine has small idols of Bhairavar with various postures on the
walls. On the wall, you can find a small carving depicting the scene of Hanuman
pulling the Shiva Linga. The temple pond which is situated in front of the
temple is called Nandi Theertham. There is a small Shiva Linga idol next to the
Pond. Nandi’s front half is seen protruding from the wall of the pond. The
water originating somewhere from the hill reaches a small well and from there, it passes and comes through this Nandi’s mouth and flows into the pond. The water here flows for all the days in a year.
As per the legend, Lord Rama
wanted to perform pooja to Lord Shiva in Rameswaram in Southern Tamil
Nadu. He ordered Lord Hanuman to bring an idol of Shiv Linga from Kasi in North
India. When Hanuman was returning from Kasi via Ramagiri, Lord Bhairav used his
power to make Hanuman sweat and get tired. Hanuman wanted to have water and saw
a pond on this site. He handed over the Shiv Linga to a boy without knowing the
fact that it was Bhairav. When he returned to take back the Shiv Linga after
having water, he found the Shiv Linga installed on the ground. He tried his
level best to lift the idol in vain. Ultimately, he cursed the pond to become a
hill and went to Kasi to take another Shiv Linga. You can find the Shiv Linga
idol slightly tilted even today. As Anjaneya brought the Shiva Lingam here,
which was meant for Rama, the place came to be known as Ramagiri.
Another myth is
connected with Vaanara king ‘Vaali’ who used to follow ablution in the evening
while submerging into the nearby ocean water. Appeased Lord Shiva appeared as a
Swayambhu Linga there. Vaali’s devotion wanted to enshrine it in his capital
‘Kishkinta’. Therefore, he tried to pull it with all his might but
failed. Realizing the sin he committed, he pled to god for seeking pardon for the
sacrilege he did. The sea of compassion Lord Shiva came into vision with his
consort as a gypsy with dogs. He constructed the water tank to empower the
strength that Vaali had lost earlier.
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