Ardhanareeswarar Temple, Tiruchengode

The Ardhanareeswarar Temple at Tiruchengode is dedicated to Ardhanarishvara, the form that unites Shiva and Parvati in one body. The Chenkottu Velavar Temple to Murugan shares the hill, and an Ucchi Pillaiyar shrine to Ganesha stands beside the main complex. A Paadal Petra Sthalam, it was sung of by Sambandar and Arunagirinathar, the Cilappatikaram knows the place as Neduvelkundru, and Muthuswami Dikshitar's 'Arthanarishvaram' celebrates it.

Legend says Parvati, offended when the sage Bhringi worshipped Shiva alone, won through austerity a place in Shiva's body, creating the half-male, half-female form. Another tale explains the red hill, Chengodu, as a fragment of Mount Meru flung down in a contest between Adisesha and Vayu; a 60 ft snake is carved on the hill, which is also called Nagamalai. Chola, Pandya and Nayak kings and the British officer Davis all renovated the temple. An emerald lingam is shown in the early mornings of Margazhi.