▁and ▁hence ▁called ▁Cham ap ak avan am . ▁ ▁In ▁ancient ▁times , ▁the ▁forest ▁surrounding ▁Th ir um ulla ivo yal ▁was ▁occupied ▁by ▁two ▁Kur umb ars ▁named ▁Van an ▁and ▁On an . ▁ ▁King ▁Th onda iman ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁em peror ▁there ▁tried ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁at roc ities ▁by ▁w aging ▁a ▁war ▁against ▁them . ▁ ▁En ▁route ▁to ▁the ▁war - field , ▁his ▁ele ph ant ' s ▁leg ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁mul la i ▁cre ep ers . ▁ ▁The ▁king , ▁while ▁cutting ▁those ▁clim bers , found ▁blood ▁o oz ing ▁out ▁of ▁it ▁and ▁later ▁found ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁S iva ▁ling a ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁blood ▁was ▁o oz ing . ▁The ▁king ▁was ▁deeply ▁wor ried ; ▁but , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Temple ▁History , ▁the ▁Lord ▁appeared ▁before ▁him ▁and ▁pac ified ▁the ▁king ▁saying , ▁' In ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁blood ▁I ▁am ▁P ure ' ▁-- ▁hence ▁the ▁name ▁Mas il am ani . ▁The ▁king ▁d uly ▁defeated ▁the ▁kur umb as ▁and ▁brought ▁with ▁him ▁the ▁two ▁white - er uk ku ▁pill ars ▁from ▁their ▁palace ▁and ▁used ▁them ▁while ▁building ▁the ▁temple ▁for ▁Mas il man in ath ar . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁Lord ▁supported ▁him ▁in ▁destroy ing ▁the ▁Kur umb as ▁by ▁sending ▁the ▁N and i . ▁ ▁The ▁unique ▁feature ▁of ▁the ▁temple ▁is ▁the ▁N and i ▁facing ▁east ward ▁against