Musicians in the Kavadi procession streaming toward the temple. "The tradition of carrying the kavadi is a re-enactment of a Tamil myth: Agastaya, a sage devoted to Siva, went to Mt. Kailas to worship. Siva gave the sage two hills, and told him to take them to his mountain abode. Agastya asked Itampan to carry them. Agastya gave him the staff of Brahma, laid it across his shoulders, and tied the mountains to it with two snakes. Itampan walked for a while, and then set the mountains down so that he could take a rest. He stood up again to lift the mountains only to find that they were fixed to the spot. He climbed the larger of the two mountains. At the top he found a boy. The boy claimed the hills as his own so, in defense of the hills, Itampan began to fight, only to quickly lose his life. Itampan's wife, Itampi, and Agastya were instantly on the scene pleading for mercy. The boy revealed himself as Subramania, and restored the life of Itampan. Itampan requested that whoever should offer vows to Subramania wearing a kavadi should be specially blessed. Subramania granted him this."