The Vimana above the sanctum sanctorum is called Badra Vimana.  Vinayaka in the temple is praised as Lord Vasantha Vinayaka.  The temple has five prakaras-corridors.  There are seven sacred springs in the temple – Visalakshi, Yama, Kalyana, Agni, Deva, Appar and Maniankarunai.  Vinayaka in the prakara with Lord Shiva and Lord Perumal Senthamarai Kannan and Lord Dakshinamurthy with Nandhi below Him are the differences in this temple comparing the general traditions in other Shiva temples.  Swayambu Nandhi is near the flag post-Kodimaram.

Devotees pray for job opportunities, promotions, removal of obstacles in wedding talks and longevity.  People perform Homas in the shrine of Lord Yama praying for longevity. As prayer commitment, devotees do feeding to poor

Sacred tree of the temple is plaintain.  Those facing delays in their marriage pray here with remedial pujas and tie a mangal sutra for early results.

After Lord Shiva hit Yama the God of Death at Tirukadayur, no deaths occurred in the world thus increasing the burden on earth to unmanageable level.  Mother Earth appealed to Lord Shiva of her pain of bearing unbearable weight.  On a Thai Poosam day- Poosam star day during January-February, Lord Shiva made Yama appear under His feet as a child, instructed him to discharge his duties with impeccable sense of Dharma and reinstated him in the job.  The Yama shrine in the prakara of the temple represents this event.  Lord Shiva and Mother Ambica with Lord Muruga in Somaskanda form are in this shrine with Yama as a child under Their feet.  People celebrate their 60^th birth day and perform longevity prayers in this shrine in large numbers.

There is no Navagraha-nine planets-shrine in the temple as Yama is their Lord.  Devotees pray the deepas-lamps before Nandhi as Navagrahas.  Rajagopuram of the temple is called Ravana Gate.  Below the gopuram are nine steps to reach Lord’s shrine. It is said that these steps represent Navagrahas that were at the command of Ravana obeying his orders.

Saint Tirunavukkarasar was on his way to worship Lord Gneelivana Nathar.  He stood exhausted at a place due to hunger.  A priest appeared before him with rice-Annam or Choru in Tamil.  The priest also assured the saint to lead to the temple but disappeared on the way.  The saint was shocked and prayed to Lord Shiva.  Lord granted darshan to Tirunavukkarasar and told him that He was the priest who helped him.  At the request of Tirunavukkarasar, Lord stayed here in the form of Linga named Chottrudaya Easwarar – God with Rice.  This shrine is at the entrance of the temple separately.  This event is celebrated in the temple on the Avittam star day in Chithirai-April-May.

Sage Vasishta used to worship Lord Chidambaram Nataraja during the Arthajama (night) puja every day.  Once he had to stay in this place as he was late.  He appealed to Lord to grant his dance darshan to him.  Obliging His devotee Lord granted the darshan the sage wished.  Remembering this event, Lord Nataraja is in the temple in a painting before the shrine with Sage Vasishta.  Hence, the place is also revered as Mela Chidambaram.

Seven virgins-Saptha Kannikas – Brahmi, Maheswari, Gaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani and Chamundi came to this place before their wedding seeking the darshan of Mother Ambica.  Mother appeared before them and said that they would be  married with good matches and enjoy a happy life.  Mother also granted the boon that they would be in the place in the form of plantain trees enjoying Her darshan.  Accordingly, they stayed here.  Lord Shiva too graced the place in His Linga form.