During the Navarathri celebrations the arrow event called Pari Vettai on Vijayadasami day occupies great importance.  Seven Gods, Meenakshi Amman, Srinivasa Perumal, Ayyanar, Mari Amman, Jayavilangi Amman, Paal Adayar,  Subramaniar meet in the Maidan in Porkudai area.  Deepa Aaradhana is offered to the Gods on their arrival and the arrow event follows then.  People take the arrow to the house and keep in their Puja rooms hoping that their desires would be realized as the arrow reaches the target.

Parents concerned about their children facing adverse planetary aspects, offer them to Lord in adoption and take back.

The Theertha Kulam is opposite of Lord Sundareswara where the float festival takes place on the 11^th day of Chithirai festival in April-May.  This is the best place to offer children facing adverse planetary aspects to Lord in adoption.  While doing so, the parents should not have any prayer commitment due in other temples.  If so, they have to fulfill it and then only do the adoption ritual in this temple.  Thus, Lord Sundareswarar facilitates fulfillment of prayer dues to other Gods in other temples.

While offering the child in adoption, parents vow saying with tears in eyes that they sell the child to Lord under a document – Suddha Sasana Kirayam - and hand over the child to the priest.  The priest in turn gives the child to the grandparents or to the maternal uncle.  When the child attains the marriageable age, the parents come back to the Lord, tell Him that they withdraw the adoption and take the boy or girl back.

Ari means Moon.  Mazha means child.  Due to a curse, Moon began shrinking and reached child size.  Moon came to this place dense then with vilwa trees and prayed to Lord.  Lord wore the child moon – crescent moon – in His head and thus the curse of moon vanished.  He begged Lord that the place be known as Arimalam which the Lord granted.

According to other story, Arum Pallam would have changed as Ari Malam.  One more story is that a rare variety of fruit called Eranji Pazham in the Vilangi Amman shrine got the name Arum Pazham meaning rare fruit which later shrunk as Arimalam, according some researchers.

The rays of Sun fall on the Shivalinga in the temple from March 19 to 21 when special pujas are dedicated to Lord.

Vidyavathi is the daughter of a Gandharva named Vishwavasu.  Staunch devotee of Mother Shymaladevi Goddess of Wisdom with the divinity of Mother Meenakshi, Vidyavathi worshipped Her as her own daughter.  Pleased with her Bhakti, Mother Shymala granted darshan and asked what she wished.  Vidyavathi desired to have Her as his daughter.  Mother Shymala said that she will have her wish realized in her next birth.

Vidyavathi was then born to king Surasena and married Malayadwaja Pandya the king of Madurai.  The king conducted a yajna seeking child boon.  Mother Meenakshi appeared from the yagna fire as a little girl.  Observing Her wisdom,  Malayadwaja Pandya entrusted the kingdom to Her care.  As a fish feeding its offspring with a very look of the eye, She became to be praised as Meenakshi – Meen means fish, Akshi-look.  During Her Digviya, She met Lord Shiva in Kaiash.  Lord Shiva came to Madurai to wed Her and as requested by Meenakshi, He also took charge of the rule of Madurai.  Devotees in the Pudukkottai prayed to Lord Shiva and Mother Meenakshi that they should bless them with their presence in their place too.  About 500 years ago they built a small temple which grew big as it is today.