TIRUKKOILUR

Several kinds of prayer services arc offered and people from far and near are pouring into the temple through out the year. On the day of Punarvasu in the month of Vaikasi, a grand festival is celebrated when lakhs offer prayers. Besides, special poojas are offered, whenever Saturn moves from one sign of the Zodiac to the other. In a way, this shrine eclipsed the glory of Dharba Sayaneswar, the presiding deity of the temple.

The main shrine is surrounded by a thick growth of dharba grass. Hence the name Dharbasayaneswar for the archamurti. He has a high reputation and commendable following due to showering of munificent blessings on the pious bhaktas. He goes by another name of Nallaruswamy, for the fact of releasing Nala, one of the Shatchakravarthis from the clutches of Sani Bhagawan. Many deserving devotees are relieved and emancipated. There lies a pond at close quarters called Nalathirtham where Nala was bitten by Karkotaka-a dreadful serpent and regained his former status. The tank is held very sacred and a dip confers complete relief to both body and spirit. Thus these two sacred abodes are attracting bhaktas and dunkartis round the year.

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