Tiruvarur Thyagaraja temple is dedicated to the Somaskanda form of Shiva (Shiva sitting along with Goddess Parvati and Murugan). The temple is famous for its unique Maragatha or emerald murti and numerous subsidiary deities. The shrine is also famous for its unique and unusual food offering.
Morkuzhambu or Kadhi (prepared used using beaten curd with coconut and cumin paste) is an important part of the daily food offering or naivedyam. The mor kuzhambu sadam or rice mixed with mor kuzhambu is offered during the noon puja (between 11:30 AM ad 12:00 PM.
Samba Sadam or suddhannam is also offered during the noon time.
Other unique daily offerings are suzhiyam (fried sweet made from flour and jaggery), thenkuzhal (twisted friend savory made using flour) and puttu (rice flour steamed with coconut shavings in a cylindrical vessel).
Puttu, thenkuzhal and suzhiyam are offered during the 6:00 PM puja. Sakkarai pongal, samba sadam, vadai and adhirasam are also offered at this time.
Samba sadam, thenzkuzhal is again offered between 7:30 PM and 8:00 PM. Samba Sadam is again offered at around 8:40 PM. The last food offering is sweet payasam.
The first offering during the morning is fresh cow milk at around 6:00 AM. Samba sadam and plain dosa is offered in the morning before 9:00 AM
The subsidiary deity Jwaradeva is offered milagu rasam. This is a unique daily offering. Paal sadam is offered to Goddess Kamalambal on the ninth day of Purattasi month.
Special food offerings are performed on Arudra Darshanam day in Margazhi masam (December – January). Apart from the regular offerings, various types of pongal, curd rice, puliyodharai and murukku are part of the naivedyam.