The idols are five in number –Lords Chandikeswarar, Shiva, Vinayaka, Muruga and Shakti. Number five has a lot significance in this temple. Lord Muruga with Chakras is rarely seen in a few Shiva temples only. There are chakras above him promising the devotee that he would be blessed with all his wishes. Lord Muruga with His consorts Valli and Deivanai graces the devotees from a shrine between Lord and Mother Vruddhambika shrine with 28 Shivalingas installed in accordance the Saiva Agama rules. The niche idols here are Ardhanareeswarar, Lingodbhavar, Vinayakar, Bhrama, Gangadharar and Dakshinamurthy. the inner sanctum and the ardhamandapam belong to her period. The Chola queen, Sembiyan Mahadevi reconstructed the stone temple in the 10th century. A sage by name Vipachit is believed to have built the earliest structure of this temple, and his idol is kept under the vanni tree here. The outermost prakaram is referred to as Kailasa Prakaram. The temple covers an area of 4 acres it has 3 vast courtyards surrounded by tall walls with towering 7 storied entrances on all four sides. The temple is also praised by Shivaprakasar, Kuamaradeva and Vadalur Vallalar Ramalinga Adigalar in their hymns. Saint Arunagiriar had sung 10 Tirupugazh hymns on Lord Muruga of this temple. She appeared as a beautiful young woman and fed the devotee and thus came to be known as Balambika – young Mother. The devotee sang another verse describing the youthfulness of Goddess Ambica. Mother Goddess Periyanayaki came there as an old woman and replied that Kizhavi-old woman cannot bring food, only young woman can. He was very hungry and called the Mother Goddess with a verse by a word Kizhathi meaning old woman. Devotee Guru Namshivayar stayed in this place for a night on his way to Chidambaram. As believed in Kasi, here too Mother Goddess Vruddambika keeps the departed souls on Her lap and fan them with the pallu of Her Sari while Lord Shiva chants the Namshivaya mantra in the ears of the dead ensuring his/her salvation, according to Sthalapurana. It is also claimed that the benefits are more here than Kasi, hence the saying “Kasiyil Veesam Adhigam in Vruddhakasi”. Vruddhachalam is as famous as Kasi-Varanasi promising salvation known as Vruddhakasi. This is the 9th Shiva temple in Tamil Nadu region praised in hymns. The temple is praised by the three Saivite Saints Sundarar, Tirunavukkarasar and Gnanasambandar in their Thevaram hymns.
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