PARANGIMALAI SHIVA TEMPLE

1. KASI VISWANADHAR TEMPLE

St. Thomas mount is also called as Parangimalai. Since Sage Bringi stayed and performed thavam here this place was earlier called Bringi malai and now called Parangimalai. 

STORY OF SAGE BRINGI:

Sage Bringi always worshipped Shiva. One day Shiva appeared before him in the form of Arthanaadheeswarar. Sage Bringi did not want to worship Parvathi. So he took the form of a bee and went in between Shiva and Parvathi and came round only Shiva. Parvathi got angry and cursed him that he will lose all the power (Shakthi) his body has possessed and he became like a Skeleton. He pleaded to Shiva saying that how could he worship him thereafter. Lord Shiva gave him a third leg to make him stand up. Sage bringi realised his mistake and pleaded Shiva to appear before him along with Uma. After worshipping Shiva and Uma who appeared before him as he had wished, he got back his strength and his original form. 

 VISWANAADHAR TEMPLE

We can find Shiva and Parvathi statue behind the Moolavar linga, Viswanaadhar. We can find the Shilpa of Bringi with three legs on a pillar in the temple. The name of the Ambaal is Visalakshi. Sage Bringicould not go to Kaasi when he was without his strength. Then he established this linga and worshipped and called it Viswanaadhar. This linga is similar to the Viswanaadhar of Kaasi. We find the Peepal tree and the neem tree together. These are the Sthala virukshas. All the other deities found in all shiva Shiva temples are also found here. There are paintings of mamny deities such as Gayathiri, Saraswathi, Naradha and so on. The Paintings are so fine. The construction of the temple must have been made before 600 years.