Vaitheeswaran Temple is located in Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. One of the nine Navagraha Temples and the planet Mars (Angaraka) is also worshiped here. Believed to be the site of curing Angaraka of leprosy, this site is known for its Naadi astrologers.
It is believed that a bath in the holy waters of the Siddhamirtham tank within the temple complex will cure all diseases. Recently the authorities have banned the use of soap and shampoo, but one can enjoy a normal bath in the tank. Also, it is a belief that dissolving "holy jaggery" (Tamil:vellam) in the water will cure one of the skin diseases.
Vaithiswarankoil, a well-known shrine with towering gopurams, rich in legends and tradition is devoted to supreme lord shiva and being visited by several devotees every day. It is on the way to mayiladuthurai from Chidambaram, close to sirkali town. Several literary works and sacred hymns praise the glory of this temple. Appar and tirugnanasampandar, the enlightened saints visited and praised the glory of lord shiva of this temple in their very famous divine work viz. Devaram. Some poems composed by the saint vadalur Ramalinga Swamigal, Kavi Kaalamegam, and Padikasu Thambiran also praise the glory of this temple and lord shiva enshrined. This is a big temple not only in size but also in art and architecture and structural mandapas. Normally, in almost all the temples, the nine planets face divergently, but here, they are found in a row like tiruvarur. It indicates that they are powerless under the control of lord shiva.
Among the shrines which are devoted to the nine planets, everyone knows, it is for planet mars. Lord Ganesh, Lord Vaithyanatha(Shiva), Goddess Thaiyalnayaki(Parvathi), Lord Muthukumarasamy(Lord Subramanya), and planet Mars(Angaraka) are the five presiding deities. The ancient physician-Saint Dhanvantri got enshrined inside the temple behind Lord Vaithyanatha. There are Shiva lingams inside the temple said to have been Lord Rama. Jatayu(a bird), Skanda, Surya and Angaraka. On every Tuesday, Angaraka(an idol made of bronze), sitting on the goat, goes for the procession. Angaraha represents planet mars, the fiery planet, red in color, owns the houses Aries and Scorpio, and gets exalted in Capricorn in the Zodiac.
It is said, pul(bird), Rig(once among the four Vedas) and Vel(Lord Subramanya) worshipped Lord Shiva in this temple and hence, the village is known as Pul Rig Vel Oor(Oor means village - Pullirukkuvelur). Lord Rama, Lakshmana, and Saptarishis(Seven important saints) had also worshipped the presiding deities of this temple. Pujas are being performed every day six times, Usha kalam at the dawn and artha ya mam, late in the night. Karthikai(star) is being celebrated in grandeur and Bhrahmotsavas is being celebrated in the Tamil months Thai and Panguni every year. Before waging war against the demon padmasura, Lord Subramanya was blessed by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi here by offering bouquets and this festival is being celebrated every year in the name Skanda sasti.
Vaithyan means physician in Tamil. Hence, here Shiva is known as Vaithyanatha, the supreme healer. His consort thaiyalnayaki accompanied him to assist him as a nurse, bearing a pot on her head which contained thailam(herbal essence), and goddess Parvathi is known as Thaila Nayaki(now she is known as Thaiyal Nayaki). What we use to perform abishek(holy bath) to Lord Shiva joins in the sacred tank of this temple using the way provided and hence, the holy tank inside the temple is known as Siddhamirth(amirth means the elixir and siddhi mean success) Tirta. Snakes and frogs, it is unique, are unable to survive in the holy tank. By taking bath in the holy tank, the efforts that a devotee extends to get relieved from diseases would prove fruitful. Tiruchandu Urundai is the prasadam being offered to the devotees here and it is made of medicinal clay(being extracted from a pond close to the temple), essence from neem leaves, neem bark-powder, and holy ash being collected from Homa Kundam(sacred fire). It is a panacea capable of curing almost all kinds of diseases that an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva suffers from. Netirapadi Chandana is the other prasadam being offered to the devotees. It is nothing but sandal paste mixed with saffron and it gets medicated powerfully when it is offered to Lord Subramanya.
Inscriptions found inside the walls of the temple by Vikrama Chola(12th C), The Nayaks(16th C), and the Marathas (18th C) reveal, how the temple was decorated periodically and administered during the past. Salt, Unrefined sugar, and pepper being offered here in this temple, it is believed by the devotees, would cure so many diseases like skin rashes, infection, and unwanted ugly warts on the faces and body. Close to this temple, Thiruvenkadu, a temple devoted to planet mercury is also located.