Thayum-Aanavar at Rock fort in Thiruchi rappalli

 The temple features:

This temple is located at Rock fort in Thiruchi in Tamil Nadu. This temple crowns a heavy and solid outcrop of rock. It is measures 83 metres in height from the surrounding plains. The top is reached by a steep flight of 437 steps cut into the rock. This shrine is located half way and the deity is Thayumanaswamy dedicated to Lord Siva. It has a 100-pillared hall, and a main tower (Vimana) covered with gold. On the southern face of the rock are several beautifully carved rock-cut cave temples of the Pallava period built by the Nayakars who were the founders of the city.

This shrine has the sanctum for Kangaala Moorthy, one of the 64 manifestations of Lord Siva. The approach to the temple is through a flight of covered stairs. Towards the end of the climb, the Tayumanavar temple is located towards the west. facing the eastern direction .
Devi Mattuvar Kuzhali amman has a separate sanctum also facing the eastern direction. This place has other names. Those are Thiruchiru-giri, Thiruchira-puram, Dhashina-Kailasam Sevandhi-Ma-Nagar and at present Thiruchinapalli.

The saints who sang hymns on the Lord:
Thiru-gnana-sambandhar and Thirunavu-karasar

Legend: Once there was a Merchant family living on the other side of the banks of river Cauvery. The merchant's daughter called Satyavathi was living near a village called Arangapattinam. The daughter of merchant was pregnant and the delivery time was nearing. So he was trying to go and fetch his daughter for her confinement.
But the river was in heavy floods and so he could not go to his daughters place. The lady was very sad and was always thinking of her mother. But the floods became heavier and no one could come to her from her father's place.

Satyavathi developed labour pain. She could not bear the pain and was praying to Lord Siva. The Lord was always kind to his devootees. Hence he went to Satyawati's house disguised as her mother. As soon as satyavathi saw her mother she was surprised and enquired of her how it was possible to cross the flooded river. The Lord as her mother convinced her and attended to the delivery. Satyavathi gave birth a male baby.
The baby was named Satyavirthan. Because the lord went for the lady's confinement as her mother the deity is called Thayum Aanavar. ('Thai' in Tamil means 'mother' and 'anavar' is 'became' ).
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