Sri Sharabheshwarar Mahimai contains the legacy of the mighty lord Sharabha from Hindu Mythology. Sarabha is a part-lion and part-bird beast in Hindu history, who is described eight-legged and more powerful than a lion or an elephant. The Shaiva scriptures narrate that god Shiva assumed the form of Sharabha to pacify Narasimha - the fierce man-lion avatar of Vishnu. This form is popularly known as Sharabeshwara or Sharabeshwaramurti.