The ancient Tamils have given the names of the natural plants to the land as well as the city  that depends on it.  Hence, the meaning of ‘Thalaichangaadu’ can be understood, if it is separated as ‘thalai+changu+kaadu’.  ‘Changu’ flowers (shell-like flowers) were grown abundantly in the gardens here and were sent to these temples and also to the surrounding temples.  The inscription informs that the name ‘Thalaichangaadu’ must have come into vogue because of these flower gardens.

Women come here for begetting issues.  Those women observe ‘pournami vrattam’ (vow on the full-moon day), consume a small amount of the sandal-paste that has adorned Ambal’s body and pray to beget child.

The temple is structured in conch-shape.  The darshan of the three prime deities Brahma, Vishnu and Siva is available in the same Siva temple.  The Prime Deity and the Pratosha Lord separately bestow grace on the devotees.  The cosmic billionaires, ‘Sanganidhi’ and ‘Padumanidhi’ receive us at the front portals of the temple itself.  The Chola king Kochenkannan has built many Siva temples.  Of these he has built temples with narrow entrance where the elephant cannot get in.  This is one such ‘maadakkoil’- temple with narrow entry.

The temple has the ‘somaskanda structure’.  That is, when we enter the temple, on the left side is the sanctum of Lord Siva, in the center is the Lord Murugan’s sanctum and on the right is the sanctum of Ambal.  It is significant that Tiruthalaichangaadu in its temple pattern follows the line of the temples in Tiruvenkaadu, Tiruccaaikaadu, Tirumaraikkaadu and Tiruttalaiyaalankaadu.  This sacred place is commemorated in the five aaranyams, namely, Sankaaranyam, Swethaaranyam, Vedaaranyam, Vilvaaranyam and Vatavaaranyam.

Lord Vishnu, in order to protect this world and its inhabitants, had worshipped Sankaaranyeswarar and procured the Conch as His weapon.  Hence, there is a separate sanctum for Lord Vishnu in this temple.