Lord Adhikesava Perumal appears majestically in His standing posture.  Mother Maragatha Valli Thayar shrine is on the right of Lord and on the left is the shrine of Mother Andal.  There are shrines in the temple including one for Chakkarathalwar.

Devotees bathe in the sacred well of the temple for relief from sins and worship Perumal and Thayar.

The antiquity of the presence of Perumal goes far back to Treta Yuga when Lord took His Rama Avatar, according to beliefs.  Lord Adhi Kesava Perumal granted darshan to Sri Anjaneya in Treta Yuga and to Yudhishtira in Dwapara Yuga.  8 holy rivers of this country performed penance here and had been relieved of their doshas in this place by Lord Perumal accompanied by Maragathavalli Thayar.  They had chosen this place as 8 holy wells to worship Lord for ever.

The names of the rivers are written on the wells in the prakara.  The Sarayu well is opposite the temple in Sri Anjaneya shrine.  The word Koovam in Tamil means well.  Hence the name of the place Koovathur.

After the end of the war, Lord Sri Rama, to make amends for killing Ravana, decided to perform Shiva Puja and asked Sri Anjaneya to bring a Shivalinga for the purpose.  As Anjaneya delayed a little to return back with the Shivalinga, mother Sita made one with sand to begin the pujas as scheduled..  Anjaneya was angry with Mother Sita as his Shivalinga could not be used for the puja.  He immediately recovered and felt that he had done wrong to mother and began going places to cleanse himself of the sin – anger.  When he reached this place and bathed in the wells, Lord Adhi Kesava Perumal granted him darshan and blessed him.  Sri Anjaneya begged Lord that after a bath, these wells should save those committing sins against their parents, abusing women (as they would be more in number in this Kaliyuga) and may be pardoned by Lord., according to beliefs.

The other story is that Darmaputra-Yudhistira prayed to Perumal here after a bath in the wells for relief for cursing women as a whole that they would not be able to maintain secrecy as his own mother Kundhi Devi hid the truth from him that Karna was his own brother.