Thiruvirkolam
Padal Petra Sthalam - Thiruvallur District
God
Tiruvirkolanadhar, facing east, Suyambu Lingam (self occurring), covered, should not be touched
Goddess
Tirupurasundari, facing east
Other Deities
Achirutha Vinayagar, Subramanya, Dakshinamurthy, Brahma, Durga, Nataraja, Bairava without his mount
Thiruvirkolam is an east facing temple with a 5 tier Rajagopuram facing south. A Rudraksha tree is present here. Frogs do not inhabit the holy pond here. Abhishekam to the deity is performed only with the water from Koovum River, which when not available is replaced with tender coconut water. Milk for the Abishekam (bathing of the deity) is received only from a nearby village called Pinchavakkam.
Holy Water (Theertham) – Koovakini Pond : Agni Theertham, Koovam River
Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – Vilvam (Aegle marmelos)
Vimaanam – Gajaprashtam
History
Thevaram Hymns by Thirugnanasambandar (7th Century CE) has been rendered to the lord here at Thiruvirkolam.
Legend
The lord is believed to have killed Asuras (Demonic beings) using the Meru Mountain as a bow and hence the name of the place is Thiruvirkolam (vir or vil is bow, kolam is the appearance and pose). After performing his aggressive dance in Tiruvalangadu to subdue Kali, the Lord is believed to have performed his protecting dance to her here at Thiruvirkolam.
Directions
At the Thandalam junction on the Bangalore Highway, take the fork on the right adjoining the Empee Distilleries plant (Arkonam Road) and proceed for about 20 kilometers to reach a signboard 3 kilometers before Perambakkam. Here take the fork on the left and take another left at the small Ganesha Temple to reach the temple.
Stay and Food
None in the area. Motel Highway’s Hotel Durga Prasad and Sri Krishna sweets provide excellent food and snacks in Poonamallee.
