Venni Karumbeswarar Temple

Venni Karumbeshwarar Temple is an ancient Shiva temple that is located in a village called, Kovil Venni that is near Needaamangalam of Thiruvarur District. The historical name of the place is Tiruvenni. This temple is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalam in the South Side of Cauvery (Chozha Naadu) where Siva appears as a bunch of sugarcane stems tied together. The Lingam at this temple appears like a bunch of sugarcane stems tied together. It is said that this place was once covered by sugarcane (Karumbu) and Venni trees. Hence the Lord is known as Venni Karumbeshwarar. Goddess Parvathi is called by the name Soundara Nayagi. Worshipping Siva here gives one all the sweetness of His grace, and so He is also called Rasapureeswarar (Rasa is extract, in this case of the sugarcane). In olden times, places were primarily identified by the temple that was there, and so this place began to be called Venniyur, which later became Koil Venni. This place is also the birthplace of Vennikuyathiar, the Sangam poet who is one of the authors of the Purananuru in Sangam literature.