Valuthoor
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Valthoor or Valuthoor
Kizha Valthoor,a small serene village in the mid point of Tanjavur and Kumbakonam.A temple dedicated to Jagathrakshagan Ambarisha Varadaja Perumal is situated here.The temple was formally established in koodaloor.It has its mention in the 108 divya desams.The legend comes from Srimad Bhagavatham where in Sri Maha Vishnu protects his favourite devotee Ambarisha from the anger of Durvasa Maharshi.
The story of Ambarisha is as follows Ambarisha was pious and devout and adhered firmly to the truth. He performed a Yaga with such great devotional fervour that Lord Narayana was pleased to bless him with "Sudarshana", which means "good Vision", and which manifested as a wheel of prosperity, peace and security to his kingdom. On Sage Vasishta’s advice, Ambarisha performed a yaga called the "Dwadasi Vratha". An important rite to be observed in this Vratha was that the king must start a fast on the day prior to Dwadasi (the twelfth day after new moon) and break it at the start of Dwadasi and feed all the people. As the moment of breaking the fast was drawing near, the mighty sage Durvasa arrived and was received with all honours by Ambarisha. Durvasa agreed to the kings request to be his honoured guest, and asked the king to wait till he finished his bath in the river and returned. As the auspicious moment approached when the king had to break his fast to fulfil the vow of the yaga, Durvasa did not turn up. On the advice of the sage Vasista, the king broke his fast by taking a tulasi leaf with water, and waited for the arrival of sage Durvasa to offer him food.
Durvasa, who was well known for his short temper, felt that Ambarisha had violated the respect due to a guest by breaking his fast before the guest had taken his meal, and in his rage created a demon to kill Ambarisha. Lord Narayana’s "Sudarshana" intervened, destroyed the demon and started chasing Durvasa himself. Durvasa went to Brahma and Shiva for protection. Both pleaded their inability to save him. He went to Lord Narayana himself, who said that he could do nothing as he was bound by the blemishlessness devotion of Ambarisha and suggested to the sage to seek the pardon of the king. Durvasa went to Ambarisha, who prayed to Lord Vishnu to recall the Sudarsana and save Durvasa.
