Mahadevar at Thiru-Adhikai

 The temple features:

This temple is located in Thiru-Adhikai(present name is Bunrooti) about 25 kms from Vizhupuram
The carpet area of the temple is 3,42,000 sqft and is built facing southeast.It has a tower 110 ft tall. The temple has 3 corridors.(Pragarams)

The deity is called Mahadeva Veerat-eswarar and has 16 polygonal sides in the east facing pose.It is said the deity is self incarnated. The lord's consort Devi Thirupura-sundari has seperate Sanctum facing west.
There are 2 theerthams as follows:

Chakkara soola-theertham.	Garuda theertham

The saints who sang hymns on the Lord:
Thiru-navu-k-arasar, Thirugnana-sambandhar. and Sundarar

There are many stone inscriptions proclaiming details of this kshetram.

Legend: Lord Siva did 8 valourous deeds in 8 differant places. (called Ashta- Veera lakshnam.)This is one of those places.
Demon Tharuga who was tormenting the Devas was killed by Lord Karthikeya.
Tharuga had three sons called Vithunmali, Tharugakshan, and Kamalakshan. These three to take revenge on devas for the killing of their father did deep penance to the creatar Brahma.Years passed. The devas and people on the earth could not tolerate the heat of their penance. Atlast Brahma appeared before the brothers and asked them the purpose for their penance. They pleaded to the lord that they should not meet their death at any time and under any circumstances. For that they asked for three flying towns made of Iron, silver and Gold.Brahma granted them their wish and gave them the three towns built by Viswakarma the divine builder.

Vithunmali the one who had the iron town was flying all over the world every day smashing everything on his way. No one could do their day to day puja in the temples. All the people and hermits were suffering. The Devas too were facing trouble from them. Hence they did Yagam to Brahma,(Brahma yagam) who appeared before them and said he could do nothing about the demons and advised them to do penance to Vishnu.
Again the people did puja to Lord Vishnu. He appeared before them and advised that they all should install a Sivalingam and do puja to the Lingam. The people requested Vishnu to install the lingam and perform the puja for them. Lord vishnu did the same as they requested. Siva ganas appeared at the end of the puja. Vishnu told them to go and kill the demons. But the Ganas refused to kill them because they were devotees of lord Siva.

Vishnu could not do anything and he asked the devas to do penance to Lord Siva. Vishnu too went to a separate place and did penance. A sprit appeared from his node and it changed as a 'purusha'. Vishnu was very happy and created four more people as the purusha's disciples.

Naradha came to that place. Vishnu asked the five of them along with Naradha to stop Siva worship of the demons.
They went to The demons town.As soon as the demon Vithunmali saw Naradha he respectedly gave a seat and asked Naradha the purpose of his visit to him.

Naradha said that " Vithumna I saw these preachers and I thought they would be useful to all of you. So I brought them here.Vritunmali brothers received them well.The preachers diverted their attention from their devotion to siva and turned their thoughts in some other direction. In the due course the demons completely turned away from Siva worship.

Mahavishnu prayed to siva and the Lord appeared before Vishnu. Siva said there was no need to wait for long to kill the Demons and to make a chariot to wage a war with the demons. Vishnu asked visvakarma to make a chariot for Siva. The devas themselves changed into the various parts of the chariot as follows:

The Sun and moon(Surya and chandra) into two wheels.

Asthagiri and udhayagiri(giri is hill) into the two axles.

Mandhara giri took the form of a chariot.

The Sky became the kalasham on the vertex of the chariot.

All stars became the decorations to the chariot.

Mount Vindiya became the Umbrella to the chariot.

Lord Brahma as the 'saaradhi' (charioteer) of the chariot.

Pranavam took the form of the whip to the charioteer.

All four vedas took the form of the four horses to the chariot.

Mount meru took the form of a bow.

Snake Vasuki took the form of the string of the bow.

Saraswathi took the form of the jingling bells at the ends of the bow

Sri vishnu became the arrows.

Nandhi Lord siva's mount took the form of the Magazine of the arrows

All devas prayed to Siva after the chariot was ready. The Lord Siva appeared as the warrior.All were praising the lord and did obeisance. Devi the consort of Siva also came and sat near the lord to see the Thrupura-samharam.

Lord siva Ordered brahma to start the chariot to go to the towns of the demons to kill them. On reaching there he stuck an arrow in his bow and launched it on to the demons towns. Miraculously the three towns merged together.
Lord siva opened his third eye and burnt all the three towns at once and killed entire group of the demons including Tharugakshan virthuman and Kamalakshanan.

All the Devas and the people of the world attained happy by the killing of those Demons and praised the Lord. Devas and Devi all together requested the lord Siva to incarnate in that place. Accordingly Sri Sankara took abode in Adhigai in linga swaroopam. The diety is named Thiru Adhigai Mahadevar.