Chemmuneeswarar of Poosariyoor

Chemmuneeswarar of Poosariyoor

By

P.R.Ramachander

Poosariyoor is 12 km from Velli Thirupoor of Erode district. This story happened during Tippu Sultan’s rule.
There is a village called Thittakudi near Chidambaram. A Brahmin priest was doing Pooja to Pachiyamman and Mannatha Sami of this village. He had a pretty daughter. Once when he was sick, this daughter offered worship instead of him. The sultan saw her there and wanted to marry her. Fearing for this the Brahmin along with his daughter and two stones from the temple of the gods he was worshipping ran away from the village. He traveled through lot of villages. Every where he halted, he never used to forget to worship to his Gods. At last they reached Poosariyoor. Here both Gods told the priest that they wanted to stay there and would protect him. That are was a forest area. So Pachiyaman asked her brother Lord Vishnu to give some body to protect her. Lord Vishnu created a God called Veeran and gave her as a body guard. Pachiyamman gave Veeran boon of deathlessness and a sword. Once she sent him to eastern direction so that he will tell about her greatness to devotees. He started doing Thapas below a Thapas tree and people started worshiping him. Pachiyamman was enraged and appealed to Vishnu. He advised her to meditate on Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva came and created two lasses using two fists of earth of the river bank. From the first lass he created Vamuni, Muthumuni, Veda muni and two more munis. From the second girl seven munis were created six munis among whom were Chemmuni, Poo muni, Lada muni and Kodi muni. Chemmuni went and asked Lord Vishnu, why he was created. He told him that he has to subdue Veeran and bring him back and protect Pachiyamman.
There was a big war between the 12 munis and Veeran. At last Veeran changed himself in to a fish and jumped in to the sea. Vaamuni drank all the waters of the sea. Then Chemmuni caught Veeran. He told him to come back and be gods of the village along with them. Pachiyamman was happy with Chemmuni and told him that though she was the prime Goddess of the village, she is giving it to Chemmuni. There is a very huge statue of Chemmuneeswarar in the village. In a small shed Pachiyamman has her temple. Apart from her Mannathachami, Vendamalai Anuman, Ranganathar, Mkkattukanni, Idakumara Kanjamalai Sidheswarar also have temples in side this shed. All the twelve Munis stand side by side. Chemmuni and Vaamuni have huge statues.
Chemmuneeswarar is supposed to have great powers to drive away Ghosts and evil spirits. These people are brought and given a bunch of burning Agar bathis. Then the priest asks them who they are. They reply. Then if they agree to go way, they are taken in front of Vaamuni to confirm whether the spirit has really gone. Three iron chains are thrown in the ground. If the affected person picks the chain thought by the relative who brought him, it is concluded that the evil spirit has gone. If not they are again brought next week. People also come and complain about injustice done to them. They sacrifice a goat after that; the body is left there itself. It seems as when the meat dries Vaamuni would give lot of bodily suffering to the culprit.
In the third week of Chithirai month (April-May) there is a festival at this temple complex .Pachiyamman, Manaadacami and Chemmuneeswarar are taken round in decorated chariots which are carried and kept before the temple. Then the ornaments are brought from Kundangal Maduvu which is half a km from the temple. While the procession comes hundreds of goats are sacrificed. Their meat is not to be taken outside the village and given to the temple workers as a gift. Later there is worship to Pachiyamman and other idols. With this the festival comes to an end.