Lord Muruga graces the devotees from the hill cave temple with His consorts Valli and Deivanai. As Valli belongs to Vedar-hunter community, honey and Thinai corn flour nivedhana is offered during the Arthajama puja. As this happens to the place where Mother Valli lived, the place is named after Her as Vallimalai. There is a temple for Kumari Valli both at the foot hill and also in the uphill. She is holding a rope arrow-Undivil- and a stone-Kavan to drive the birds. When Muruga was conversing with Valli, as Nambirajan, father of Valli came there unexpectedly, He changed Himself as a Vengai tree which is now the sacred tree of the temple.
Generally float festival is celebrated in temple for a day only. Here the festival is celebrated for four days going around the hill path. Women of the place, belonging to Valli’s community offer rice, jaggery, cereals, coconut, fruits and vastras as gift to Valli. Valli Kalyanam-Valli wedding is celebrated on the fourth day of the festival – Masi (February-March) poornima – full moon day.
Lord Muruga-Deivanai wedding festival is celebrated the next day of Skanda Sashti in October-November followed by four day float festival. Lord Muruga visits the Saravana poigai that day. While generally Lord graces from under a Vimana - tower above the sanctum sanctorum-here the Gopuram is above the sanctum. Lord Vinayaka is in front of the flag post-Kodi Maram. Nambirajan-father of Valli and the nine warriors (Nava Veeras) of Muruga are in the front mandap.
The place from where Valli drove the birds to save the crops, the spring where she bathed, the mandap where she ground the turmeric for bathing and the place where Muruga appeared to have water for His thirst (Kumari theertham) are a little far away in a jungle like place. Lord Vinayaka who threatened Valli graces here in the form of a hill, called Elephant Hill. As these are interior places in a jungle, those who wish to see them should go with necessary protection. Lord Arumugha (Muruga with six faces) graces from a shrine in the foot hill. Tiruthani is 50 km far from this place. |