| Long long ago, it
is said, this place was surrounded by thick forests on all sides which when seen from a
distance looked white, and hence the name Tiruvengadu which means the sacred white forest
(Ven means white and Kadu means forest). In Sanskrit it is known as Swetaranyam (Swetam
means white and Aranyam -means forest). The other
names by which Tiruvengadu is known are Vedavenkadu, Muktinagar, Murugan Pundi, Patala
Kailas, Jnanaranyam, Adi Chidambaram, etc. There are many shrines dedicated to Vinayaka
under the local names, Peria Varana Pillaiar, Tundi Vinayakar, Katshi
Vinayakar, etc., of which the first one is said to be the Sthala Vinayaka. |
