 Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi came down here to this place in the form of a cow and worshipped Lord Shiva to request Him to open His eyes, so that the world could be saved.Pleased with Her prayers, Lord Shiva opened His eyes, after which the heat of the place subsided and became cooler.As Sri Mahalakshmi worshipped here in the form of a cow, the place came to be known as Kopuri (In Thamizh, Ko means cow) and later corrupted to become Kovur.