Chennai : Recognizing the penance of Sage Vasishtar on Lord Shiva, Indira sent his Kamadhenu the divine cow with the sage. Once, the cow delayed to pour the milk for puja. The angry sage cursed it to become an ordinary cow losing its divine status. He also suggested the cow to go to this place and worship Lord Shiva under the Vanni tree to recover its divinity. Kamadhenu poured the milk on the Lord and got back its original supremacy. Hence, the Lord has the name Paalvanna Nather. Paal in Tamil means milk. When Sage Valmiki came there to worship Lord Shiva, Kamadhenu ran in fear pressing its feet on the head of the Shivalinga, the scar of which is still visible on the presiding deity.
Sage Valmiki worshipped Lord and corrected himself from the ways of his past life as a robber. Pleased with the sage, Lord Shiva appeared before him under the Vanni tree in the temple. The place, as requested by the sage, was named after him. The Vanni tree is in the prakara where Lord granted darshan to Sage Agasthya and Sage Valmiki. This event forms part during the Panguni Brahmmotsava in the temple. 
There are shrines for Muthukumarar praised by saint Arunagiriar in his Tirupugazh, three Shakti Vinayakas, 108 Shivalingas and Panchalingas. Abishek to Lord is performed each day only after Gopuja – Puja to cow. Lord is also known as Vanmikanathar, Vedapureeswarar, Amudheeswarar and Paalvanna Nathar.
Lord taught Sage Agasthya the medicinal qualities of herbals and the medicines for various diseases, hence is also praised as Marundeeswarar – Marundhu in Tamil means medicine and Eshwaran God – God of Medicines.
Lord facing west: Appayya Dikshithar, whose original works and commentaries on our sacred books had enriched the Sanskrit literatures and the spiritual heritage of South during the twentieth century, was unable to have the darshan of Lord due to heavy floods. He was able to see only the back of Lord. He said to the Lord, “I came here to worship you with your face, can’t you oblige me.” Moved by the prayer of Dikshithar, Lord Shiva turned west and granted darshan. Only Lord Shiva shrine is facing west in the temple. The shrine of Mother behind Lord’s shrine is facing south while the shrines of Lord Vinayaka and Lord Muruga are facing east.
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