Thirumurthi Hills (Place owned by the Supreme Trinity)
A place of Divine Importance, Thirumurthi Hills had been inhabited by many Rishis and Yogis since age unknown. Very similar to Himalayas, where the water from Mount Kailash joins the Lake Manasarovar, the water from the South Kailash flows through the forests of Thirumurthi Hills, cascades as Thirumurthi Falls and joins the Thirumurthi Reservoir. The forest is very rich in herbal heritage with over 400 species. Many Herbal specialists and Ayurveda Practitioners exclaim that the majority of species of the herbs in Thirumurthi Hills are very rare phenomena capable of curing dreadful diseases.
With the Divine Vibrations in the ambience and Herbal Aroma in the breeze, Thirumurthi Hills is undeniably an exotic venue for all spiritual aspirants.
Lord Dattatreya
Scriptures say that Athri Maharishi, the first of the Saptharishis (7 Saints) lived in this place with his Divine wife Anusuya Devi. The Supreme Trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva wished to test the purity of Anusuya Devi. They disguised themselves as poor Sanyasins and came to Athri’s Ashram while Athri’s Maharishi went into the forest for penance. Anusuya Devi received them with kind heart and requested them to have food. The Trinity demanded that, since they have renounced all material elements, Anusuya has to serve them without wearing clothes. Anusuya was initially shocked but with her mystic powers, realized that she had been put into test by the Supreme Trinity. She accepted the demand and with her Divine powers, she turned all the three into babies. Then she appeared bare as per the demand and fed the three babies with Divine love of motherhood.
Convinced with the purity of the Divine Mother and overwhelmed with her love, the Supreme Trinity blessed her with a son, who was born as an incarnation of the trio. The son thus born was Lord Dattatreya, who regarded as the foremost of the generation of Gurus.
So Thirumurthi Hills is regarded as the birth place for Lord Dattatreya. Relating this historical event, there is an ancient temple of ‘Amana Lingeshwar’ which houses the Supreme Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Thirumurthi Hills is also regarded as the birth place of Saint Pathanjali who formulated ancient Yoga philosophy as practicable applications in his Scripture ‘Pathanjali Yoga Sutra’. So Thirumurthi Hills is also called the ‘Birthplace of Yoga’
In addition to the most notable Maharishis of ancient times such as Vashista and Viswamithra, the 18 Siddhas of Southern peninsula also had performed penance in the forests of Thirumurthi Hills.