Vada Tirumullaivayil or Masilamaniswara Temple is a is a Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

 temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in the Chennai

Chennai

Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

-Avadi

Avadi

Avadi is a suburb of chennai and a municipality in Thiruvallur district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Avadi is an acronym for "Armoured Vehicles and Ammunition Depot of India". Situated about 23 km north west of Chennai, it is surrounded by major defence establishments.-Geography:Avadi...

 road, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. The temple is incarnated by the hymns of Thevaram

Thevaram

Thevaram is a panchayat town in Theni district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Thevaram located in the border of Kerala separated by western ghats-Demographics:...

 and is classifed as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is incarnated by the hymns of Sundarar, Ramalinga Swamigal and Arunagirinathar

Arunagirinathar

Arunagirinathar was Tamil poet who lived during the 15th century in Tamil Nadu, India. He was the creator of Tiruppugazh, a book of poems in Tamil in praise of the Hindu God Murugan. He was a member of the Isai Vellalar community....

.

History

In ancient times, the forest surrounding Tirumullaivayil was occupied by two Kurumbars named Vanan and Onan. King Thondaiman who was the emperor there tried to end the atrocities by waging a war against them. En route to the war, his elephant's leg was surrounded by Mullai(lily) shrebs. The king while cutting those found blood oozing out of it and later found that it is the Lords blood. He then ordered to build a temple for Masilmaninathar.

It is believed that the Lord supported him in destroying the Kurumbars by sending the Nandi

Nandi

Nandi may refer to:* Nandi , the white bull on which Lord Siva rides* Nandi Awards, Film awards given to Tollywood personalities and films* Nandi people, an ethnic group from Africa** Nandi languages...

. The Nandi

Nandi

Nandi may refer to:* Nandi , the white bull on which Lord Siva rides* Nandi Awards, Film awards given to Tollywood personalities and films* Nandi people, an ethnic group from Africa** Nandi languages...

is Shiva

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

 temples face the lord, but the Nandi

Nandi

Nandi may refer to:* Nandi , the white bull on which Lord Siva rides* Nandi Awards, Film awards given to Tollywood personalities and films* Nandi people, an ethnic group from Africa** Nandi languages...

in the temple faces east ward against Lord Shiva. Also this is one of the few temples where the positions of the Lords are interchanged. This is believed to be because of the urgency in providing darshan(view) to the king.

Kodiyidai Nayagi

The powers of the consort deity, Parvathi is classified as under.

• Tiruvudai Amman, Melur: Icha Shakthi
• Kodiyidai Amman, Tirumullaivayil: Kriya Shakthi
• Vadivudai Amman, Tiruvotriyur: Gnana Shakthi

Festivals

Every year in the month of Chittirai(Mar-Apr), on Sadaya nakshatra(Sadayam star), the Santhana kappu is refurbished with Veru kappu. This is believed to be the treatment for the blood that oozed out of the deity because of the king's attack.