Agasthya was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Once on a pilgrimage he had the desire to see a shiva linga installed in a palm grove. So he went around all the palm groves looking for the linga. Soon he chanced upon one in the palm grove situated in a place called Tirupanangadu. He worshipped the lord in this place, where Shiva also came to be called as Talapureeswara. ‘Talam’ means Palm tree in Tamil. He once told his father Pulasthya about the shiva shrine here. Pulasthya was consumed by the desire to see the temple.
So he arrived in Tirupanangadu and began looking for the shiva linga, described by Agasthya. But after searching for a long time, Pulasthya could not find it. He realized that unless Shiva desired, his devotees cannot get to see his form.
He began making a Shiva linga and installed it on his own in Tirupanangadu. This idol came to be known as Kripanadeswarar. Hearsay has it that the Goddess Ambika urged Shiva to give darshan to Pulasthya.
Rishi Pulasthya, was one of the sons of Brahma, and the father of Agastya. Before the Krishna avatar, the Lord is said to have sent the river Viraja from the Netherworlds to flow as the Yamuna and the Govardhan as king of mountains to the earth. Govardhan was born to the mountain god Drona. Govardhan was situated in an island with utmost natural beauty. Pulasthya on hearing about the Govardhan being a very beautiful mountain wanted his presence in the yagna he was performing at Kashi. He asked the permission of Drona, Govardhan’s father. Drona agreed, but Govardhan laid a lot conditions. He said that Pulasthya should carry Govardhan in his palm and if due to any circumstance he was laid down by Pulasthya, he would reside in that place forever. Pulasthya agreed and carried him in his palm. While crossing the Yamuna, Govardhan decided that he would reside in that place to worship Lord Krishna. So he grew heavier and heavier. Pulasthya couldn’t bear the weight in his palm and laid the mountain on the ground where Govardhan sat like a rock without moving. Pulasthya was outraged and he cursed Govardhan saying that he could remain there but in very short stature and that he would never again be tall and majestic. According to mythology to this day, (even when Krishna carried the Govardhan with his little finger), Govardhan remained half the size of what he was earlier.
Tirupanangadu is in Kancheepuram district.
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