In the Shiva Purana, when Indra and Brihaspati were going towards Mount Kailash to meet Shiva, they met a mendicant on the way who was Shiva himself. Indra did not recognize and was asking him about the whereabouts of Shiva, for which the medicant did not reply. Getting infuriated, Indra used his weapon, the Vajrayudam on Shiva.
Shiva was angry at Indra and immediately opened the third eye to destroy Indra. Brihaspati recognized Shiva and prayed to him, requesting him to pardon Indra. To avoid killing Indra, Shiva directed the fire from his eye towards the ocean. The fire when it met with the ocean created an asura who Brahma named Jalandhara as he was born out of ocean.
He also told the celestial deities that since he emanated from the third eye of Shiva, he can be killed only by Shiva.Jalandhara under the aegis of the Guru Sukracharya became very powerful. He defeated all celestial deities and Indra. Indra along with other deities prayed to Shiva to destroy the demon. Jalandhara in the meanwhile, married Tulasi (also called Vrinda), the daughter of the Asura Kalanemi.
Her chastity and devotion to the husband, made him even more powerful. Shiva appeared as Veerateewarar (also called Jalandharavathamurthy) There was severe fight between the Shiva and Jalandhara in Virkudi, with both showing equal prowess. Each time Shiva appeared overpowering Jalandhara, Tulasi's chastity was saving him. Vishnu in the meanwhile tricked Tulasi by appearing as a sage and bringing bad dreams to her.
She approached the sage for relief, who created a mirage showing Jalandhara being killed by Shiva with the sage bringing him back to life. Tulasi was happy with the replica of Jalandhar, who was Vishnu himself. She lost her chastity on account of the incident. Shiva in the meanwhile, challenged Jalandhara to break a chariot, which he could not. Shiva killed the demon with the chariot.
Tulasi, in the meanwhile cursed Vishnu that he would turn into a stone. Pleased by the devotion of her, Vishnu gave her a boon that she will be part of every Vishnu worship and she would acquire equal place in his heart as Lakshmi. Jalandhar, being born out of Shiva, got merged into Shiva.
As per Hindu legend, Shiva is believed to have destroyed eight different demons namely Andakasuran, Gajasuran, Jalandasuran, Thirupuradhi, Kaman, Arjunan, Dakshan and Taaragasuran. There are Ashta Veeratanam temples built signifying each of his victories in the war,and also as places where he is believed to have performed with fury.
The eight temples are: Tiruvadigai Veerattaaneswarar Temple at Thiruvadigai, Tirukkovilur Veerateshwarar Temple at Tirukoilur, Veerateswarar temple at Thiruvirkudi or Thirukkurukkai, Amirtagateswarar Temple at Thirukadaiyur, Vazhuvur Verateswarar Temple at Vazhuvoor, Keelaparasalur Veerateswarar Temple at Tirupariyalur, Kandeeswarar Temple at Thirukkandiyur and Tiruvirkudi Veerataneswarar Temple at Thiruvirkudi.
Shiva in all these temples are described to have used bow and arrow, trident and spear.It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Tevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Sambandar. The ten songs of Sambandar are compiled in second Thirumurai as 108th canto.
Tirugnanasambandar describes the feature of the deity as
செங்கண் மாலொடு நான்முகன் தேடியுந் திருவ டியறியாமை
எங்கு மாரெரி யாகிய இறைவனை யறைபுனன் முடியார்ந்த
வெங்கண் மால்வரைக் கரியுரித் துகந்தவன் விற்குடி வீரட்டம்
தங்கை யால்தொழு தேத்தவல் லாரவர் தவமல்கு குணத்தாரே.