VILLUPURAM: Thousands of devotees thronged the maha kumbabhishekam of the 1500-year-old Abirameswarar temple in Thiruvamathur village near Villupuram, on Wednesday. The consecration ceremony was conducted in a grand manner, after a gap of 18 years.
The temple had been shut for renovation worth Rs 1.2 crore, for the last five months. The temple is now open to the public for workshops, said authorities. The Sri Muthambikai Sametha Abhirameswarar temple, under the jurisdiction of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department, is known for ‘blessing cows with horns.’
According to mythological folklore in the village, cows in the primaeval time's cows were created by Lord Siva without horns and were attacked by various deadly animals. So, the cows had urged Lord Siva to give them horns for protection, said the tale.
According to official sources, the 92-feet-tall Rajagopuram with seven tiers at Abirameswarar shrine and 62-feet-tall Muthambhikai Amman Sannathi Gopuram with five tiers at Muthambhikai shrine was consecrated with holy spirit by the archakars and priests.
Rs 1.2 cr was spent for renovating it for past five months