01The clockwise return
The temple’s katha begins at Tiruvalanchuzhi upstream, where the Kaveri vanished into a chasm opened by Adisesha. The rishi Heranda went down into it and gave himself up so that the river would rise again; having done so he came up here, turning to the right, valam, and the place is Tiruvalampuram. His shrine and the linga he worshipped stand by the tank. Vishnu is said to have received his discus and mace here. The swayambhu linga has two deep hollows on top, so it is covered with an upturned vessel during abhishekam, and the name Melaperumpallam, the great hollow, comes from it. Appar sang two hymns here, Sambandar and Sundarar one each.
About 2 km off the Mayiladuthurai–Tarangambadi road towards Poompuhar; roughly 18 km from Sirkazhi and 20 km from Mayiladuthurai.
