The presiding deity Virudhagiriswarar is revered in Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.

The temple is famed for the legend of Shiva forming as a mountain heeding to the prayers of Brahma.

The annual Brahmotsavam (prime festival), Masi Magam, is attended by thousands of devotees from far and near.

The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

On seeing that Brahma prayed to Lord Shiva to create the earth out of the hardened compound from the water and the flesh of the bodies.

Lord Shiva created the earth combining the flesh and the water compounded in a hardened form.

Thus, the oldest of all mountains is invisible, but the top layer of it is said to appear in the river-bed of Cuddalore at Vayalur, about four km north of Virudhachalam.

Saint Sundarar was on a fund-raising mission to feed the devotees on the Panguni Uthiram festival in Tiruvarur.

Virudagiriswarar is praised by five names – Virudhagireeshwarar, Pazhamalai Nathar, Vruddhachaleswarar, Mudhu Kundreeswarar and Vruddhagiri.

Five Rishis had the darshan of Virudhagiriswarar – Romesa, Vibasiddhu, Kumaradeva, Nada Sharma and Anavardhini.

There five towers in the temple at east, west, south, north and Kandarathithan (a Chola king) gopuram.

Five-time puja is followed in the temple - Thiruvanandal, Kalasanthi, Uchi Kala, Sayaraksha and Arthajama at scheduled times from early morning till night.

The temple has five cars-Raths for Vinayaka, Muruga, Pazhamalai Nathar, Mother Periyanayagi and Sri Chandikeswara.

The place has five names – Tirumudhu Kundram, Vruddha Kasi, Virudhachalam, Nerkuppai and Mudhugiri.

As believed in Kasi, here too Mother Viruthambigai places the departed souls on her lap and fan them with the pallu of her Sari while Shiva chants the Namasivaya mantra in the ears of the dead ensuring his/her salvation.

The ashes of the dead when dissolved in Manimuthar River change into a stone and stay underneath, according to Sthalapuranam.

Mother Peria Nayaki, as a young woman fed him with milk and named him Kumara Deva.

Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Shaiva community, a Brahmin sub-caste.

The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Ushathkalam at 5:30 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), naivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Virudhagiriswarar and Viruthambigai Amman.

On the sixth day of the Masi Magam festival, Lord Vriddhagiriswarar, along with his Consort Goddess Viruthambigai, appeared before Vibasithu Munivar.

[7] A total of 6 stone sculptures, including that of a Ardhanarisvara belonging to the temple were believed to be stolen and smuggled abroad sometime after 1974 (documented photographic evidence from French Institute of Pondicherry).