01Food for Sundarar
Sundarar reached Kurukavur hungry and parched after a long road. A Brahmin met the party, gave them food and water, and they slept; when they woke the Brahmin and every trace of the meal were gone, and Sundarar knew who had served them. He went into the temple and sang his padigam. The day is kept on Chittirai Pournami, and devotees pray here never to know hunger. The Lord is Velladainathar, Lord of the white bull. Sambandar sang the shrine too. In the Tevaram age the place was known both as Kurukavur and by the temple’s own name, Velladai.
02The Ganga well
The temple tells that Sambandar, wishing to bathe in the Ganga at Kashi, prayed at Sirkazhi, and Shiva made the Ganga rise in a well at Velladai instead. That well stands outside the temple within its own walls and is opened only on Thai Amavasai, the new moon of Thai, when crowds come for the bath; Thai Poosam is also kept with fervour. Inside, the swayambhu linga faces east, Kaviyankanni Ammai faces south, and a shrine of Kariya Manikka Perumal stands in the prakaram. Murugan here faces south, as a guru, and is worshipped on Thursdays.
About 1 km from Vadakal bus stop on the Sirkazhi–Tirumullaivasal road. Thai Amavasai is the day of the well bath.
