Though there are shrines separately for Sani Bhagwan (Planet Saturn) in all Shiva Temples, He is installed close to the wall in the corridor-prakara, making it not possible to go round the shrine. This is how the shrine is designed even in Tirunallar, a special temple devoted to Sani worship. But, the shrine for Him in the Elathur temple is such that the devotee can go round for the worship.

There is also a temple here for Lord Vishnu – Sundaraja Perumal – as the Kallazhagar temple in Madurai. The Lord graces with His consorts Sridevi and Bhoodevi. Only Sri Garudazhvar and Viswaksena grace along with Perumal. The temple is in a calm environment, quite suitable for meditation.

People pray here for any problem arising due to Saturn aspects.

Lord Dakshinamurthy and Sani Baghwan occupy greater importance in the temple. Generally, Sri Dakshinamurthy shrine is southward in all Shiva temples. But the shrine in this temple is below the Vimana. It appears that such a pattern is not followed in any other Shiva temple in the state. Sri Dakshinamurthy appears on the towers in the temples. It is only in this temple, there is a special shrine below the Vimana.

Sri Sani Baghwan occupies a place of supremacy in this temple. It is only in this temple that the deity appears in a abhayahastha (right hand assuring the devotee) form. There is also the facility to go round the shrine in clockwise way. While many are afraid of this planet, He is so graceful in this temple. Hence, the belief that all problems due to Sani aspects are solved here.

There is also a facility to do Pradikshina (going around the shrine clockwise) for Agni Bhairava. Shri Dharma Sastha graces in the temple in the form of a Linga. The idol is with a bow and arrow on an elephant hanging down His two legs

On the Great Wedding Ceremony day of Lord Shiva with Mother Parvathi at Mount Kailash, North went far below due to the weight of a large number of rishis gathering in Mount Kailash. As planet Earth lost its balance, Lord Shiva sent Sage Agasthya (a dwarf in stature) to South to balance the level with his single weight. The Hanuman River was on his way while the Sage came to South. He bathed in the river, made a Shivalinga with sand and worshipped it under a tamarind tree. The sage saw honey dropping from the tree. The Shivalinga became hard and solid mixing with the honey. Sage Agasthya called the Linga Madhunatha (Madhu means honey). This is how the temple came into being. The Honey fell through the leaves of the tree (leaves means Ilai in Tamil). Hence, the place came to be known as Elaithur and shrunk as Elathur later.