A unique custom, believed to have originated during the British period more than a century ago, continues to be practised in the temple town of Vriddachalam, located on the banks of the Manimuktha in Cuddalore district, during the Tamil month of Aadi (mid-July to mid-August) every year.
The Public Works Department and the Revenue Department of the Tamil Nadu government come together to play the role of “in-laws” (sambandhis) on the day of the Aadi Pooram festival, conducting the Thirukalyanam (celestial wedding) of the presiding deity Lord Viruthagireeswarar (Pazhamalainathar) and Goddess Viruthambigai.
Usually, in a traditional wedding invitation, the names of the bride and the groom are printed along with those of their parents. But in the case of the Thirukalyanam at Vriddachalam, the invitation carries the names of Lord Viruthagireeswarar and Goddess Viruthambigai, and officials of the two departments are mentioned as those inviting guests for the ceremony, symbolising them as “in-laws”.
Flag-hoisting
The festival begins with the ceremonial flag-hoisting and continues for eleven days, blending rituals and processions that bring the town alive. On the ninth day, well before dawn, the temple cars are drawn by a large number of devotees on the four streets around the temple — Sannadhi Veedhi, Vadakku Kottai Veedhi, Therku Kottai Veedhi, and Merku Kottai Veedhi.
As dusk falls on the tenth day, Goddess Viruthambigai is carried in the ‘Spadiga Pallakku’, a palanquin made of glass and decorated with colours and flowers that gleam under the light. Locals call this palanquin Muthu Pallakku or Kannadi Pallakku. It was gifted in 1910 by a British engineer who worked in the Public Works Department. The Goddess is taken around the temple in a procession in this palanquin, a custom believed to have been started 115 years ago.
The Thirukalyanam takes place at dawn on the eleventh day. In this celestial wedding, the Revenue Department acts as the groom’s side, bringing the sacred ‘Mangalyam’, while the Public Works Department represents the bride’s side, carrying the ‘seer varisai’ in a colourful procession on the four veedhis.
The temple, currently under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, was constructed and renovated during the rule of various dynasties, including the Pallavas and the Cholas. With tall gopurams and high enclosing walls, it stands as a fine example of Dravidian architecture. One of its gopurams carries the legacy of Sembiyan Mahadevi, the queen of Gandaraditya Chola, who oversaw its renovation.
A hill only in name
The old name of Vriddachalam is Thirumudhukundram. In Sanskrit, Vriddha means ancient and achalam means hill. Unlike other shrines where the word kundram denotes the presence of a hill, here only the name remains. According to legend, the hill that once stood at the site sank into the earth and is believed to exist now as a rock formation underground. As it is said to have appeared and disappeared before all other mountains, the place came to be known as Pazhamalai or Mudhukundram (old hill).
According to the Manual of the South Arcot District, compiled by J.H. Garstin, who was the Collector in 1878, the Vriddachalam temple once served as a fortified post on the road between Cuddalore and Trichinolpoly (Tiruchirappalli). In 1751, Lord Pigot and Robert Clive, then the Deputy Governor of Fort St. David and a young East India Company writer respectively, narrowly escaped being killed or captured by French-allied cavalry after relieving the garrison at Vriddachalam. The moats that once surrounded the temple when it was used as a fortress were closed in the 18th Century, and wide roads were laid for the temple car processions.
A tree dropping wages
According to Madras District Gazetteers-South Arcot, written by W. Francis, the popular legend about the construction of the temple says it was erected by Vibhajit (also known as Vibhasithu Munivar). One day, while the sage was resting under a tree, a group of celestial damsels came to bathe in a nearby pool. Among them was the daughter of Kubera, the god of wealth. Before entering the water, she placed aside a priceless jewel, a divine gift. A bird, mistaking the jewel for a fruit, carried it into the tree under which the sage sat and dropped it into his lap.
When she discovered the loss, suspecting her companions, she promised all her ornaments to whoever returned the jewel. Vibhajit gave it back and in return received her ornaments, with which he built the temple. His sculpture still stands under the ancient, gnarled Vanni tree (Sthala Vriksham), believed to be 2,500 years old.
It is said that during the temple’s construction, workmen would come daily to this tree, and from its branches fell the exact amount of each man’s wages.
Published – August 29, 2025 09:00 am IST
