This place was known as 'Tharparavanam' in Satya Yuga, 'Mathuvanam' in Treta Yuga, 'Thevavanam' in Dvapara Yuga and 'Vyagrapuram' in Kali Yuga. As Tharpara Maharishi did penance in this place, this place was known as Tharparanpuliyur. As a frog known as 'Thappanai' worshipped here this was also known as Thaplampuliyur. Once a Brahmin who lived in Kasi took an oil bath on the day of 'Dvadasi' and got the curse to become a tiger and he became so.
He worshipped the deity of this place and got his curse cured. As a tiger got its curse cured this deity of temple is Vyagrapurisvarar.Vyaghrapada, also known as tiger legged Rishi and Patanjali worshipped this place, the temple got its name.
As the goddess bestows the wedding boon she is known as Nityakalyani.She is compared with the deity of Ujjain and other goddess of many temples in Tamil Nadu. She is worshipped as family deity by many devotees. Generally in the kosta of the Shiva temples Vinayaka, Dakshinamurthy, Lingodbhava, Vishnu, Brahma and Durga would be found. But in this temple, as Patanjali, Vyaghrapada and Manduga rishi worshipped here, Nataraja is found in the kosta. In the place of Lingodbhava, Ardhanarishvara is found.