140. MULLI

SONACHALAESWARAR TEMPLE

Distance: 8kms from Madurantakam

Shiva: Sonachalaeswarar

Amman: 

Speciality:

There is an Arthamandapam in the temple.

The Nandhi is outside the temple in the open land.

Only Vinayaka is found in the Artha Mandapam.

There is a temple pond.

Only Chandikeswarar is found in the Prahara.

There are many inscriptions around the temple.

History:

An ancient story says that there lived a sage in the village who was a great devotee of lord Shiva. He offered whatever he got for meal to Shiva first and then consumed it. If he could not get anything he ate only fruits which he obtained from the trees nearby. He eats only once a day. It was rainy season and the village was full of floods. The sage could not get anything for food for several days. He could not bear the hunger and he prayed to Lord to give him mukthi. Shiva came in the form of a Sage and brought food and placed it before this sage who was lying in a corner due to hunger. When he realised that some food was kept before him even though he was unable to get up he managed to creep and offer some food to the Lord and perform Nivedhana. He plucked some flowers and performed Pooja. he was exited to provide food to the Lord as Nivedhana. He did not think of consuming it first but his thought was that Shiva was hungry all the days when he could not any food. The Lord was happy and he heard a voice that it was Shiva himself who provided food to his devotee. He consumed the food happily. Lord is always concerned of his devotee who always thinks of him.