Mayakoothan (Thirukulanthai)

Once the devotees named Vedhacharan and Kumudavalli performed penance and took the holy bath in the river here and requested the Supreme Lord for a child as they were childless for a long time. Pleased with their poojas the Supreme Lord blessed them with a Baby Child. The couple named the girl "Kumudavalli", who desired to marry the Lord Himself and to this end, she relentlessly pursued Him offering prayers always. 

Pleased by her sincerity, Lord Govinda gave her His darshan and asked for her wishes. Delighted at having the darshan of the Lord, she said that her mind had not changed and He was the one that she wanted. Granting her wishes, he accepted her and took her in his chest. It is also believed that Lord Maha Vishnu came down here on his Garuda Vaahanam to defeat Asura Asmachaaran. Having defeated the asura, Vishnu is said to have performed his victory dance standing on the asura’s body. 

The Devas who watched this 'dancing victory' of Lord Vishnu wanted him to provide darshan here as ‘Maaya’ or ‘Koothan’. In his only verse on Mayakoothan, Namaazhvaar refers to him as a wonderful dancer, riding on Garuda in the West in Southern Kulanthai. His reference to groves and big mansions indicates that this was a prosperous location in centuries gone by. NamAzhvaar says that desiring to see the beauty of the Lord, he went all the way only to lose himself completely on seeing the handsome Lord Mayakoothan.