Marudamalai Murugan Temple

Marudamalai, one of the most popular abodes of Lord Muruga, is next in importance only to the Aru Padai Veedugal of the south Indian deity. Situated on a scenic hill in the Western Ghats, Marudamalai is about 15 km to the industrial city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India.

At least 1200 years old, the Marudamalai Murugan temple has been mentioned in the works of the Hindu saint Arunagirinathar. Lord Muruga is enshrined as Dhandayutapani in the Marudamalai Temple. The area around Marudamalai is a lush hilly landscape that is home to some tribal peoples and is also famous for various medicinal herbs that are native to the forests here.

Palani Murugan Temple

Symbolically situated at the top of a hill, Palani is perhaps the most celebrated of the Murugan temples in India. An ancient pilgrimage site dedicated to the quintessential Tamil deity, Lord Muruga, the Palani temple is a part of Indian folklore and Hindu tradition. Palani is one of the Aaru Padai Veedugal of Murugan in Tamil Nadu, and he is worshipped here in the form of Lord Dandhayudhabani.

The idol of Lord Muruga worshipped here is made from an amalgam of nine minerals known as navabashana. It is generally believed that an ancient ruler from Kerala, Cheraman Perumal, built the first temple here in the 7th century AD. Pandyan and Nayak rulers of nearby Madurai have made significant contributions to the temple through the ages.

The Legend of Palani Murugan in Tamil Nadu

The story surrounding the Palani Murugan temple is a well known Tamil legend. The sage Narada presented a divine mango, known as jnanapalam or fruit of wisdom, to Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati, who in turn wanted to give it to their children – Ganesha and Muruga. As there was only one fruit, Shiva devised a test for his sons– the first to circumambulate the Earth would win the divine fruit. Lord Muruga immediately mounted his peacock and began his journey around the Earth.

Lord Ganesha, meanwhile, whose mount was a rat, knew he could not beat his brother in this race, and after giving the matter some thought, went around his parents claiming they were his world. Lord Shiva and Parvati were satisfied with this explanation and awarded the mango to Ganesha. Lord Muruga, who completed the circulation of the Earth, however, felt slighted at this gesture and went away to Palani Mazhai, or the Hill of Palani, to meditate and express his displeasure. It is in this form, in a standing posture and holding a staff, that Murugan is worshipped as Lord Dhandayudhabani at Palani.

Murugan Temple of Pazhamudhircholai

There are two important Murugan temples around Madurai – one at Thiruparankunram and one at Pazhamudhircholai. Both are sacred abodes of Lord Muruga known as Aaru Padai Veedugal, all six of which are in Tamil Nadu. Lord Muruga is indeed a south Indian diety, and is essentially unknown in the north.

The Pazhamudhircholai temple is small compared to the other Padai Veedugal of Murugan and located in the Azhagar hills that also contains the Azhagar Kovil. It is a sylvan setting and the temple has been praised by the ancient Hindu saint Arunagirinathar as well as the legendary poet Nakkirar.

The Legend of Madurai Azhagar

Madurai is the cultural center of Tamil Nadu, and it is a land immersed in the splendor of its past and in legends and mythology. The legend of Azhagar is a story every child in Madurai knows. When Lord Shiva, in the form of Sundareshwarar, wanted to marry Meenakshi, her brother Lord Vishnu, in the form of Azhagar, was supposed to give her away. But circumstances – there are different versions of the story – prevented him from attending the divine wedding.

Symbolically, the Azhagar Kovil is therefore situated on the outskirts of Madurai, and Azhagar, only enters the city during the annual festival celebrating the celestial marriage of his sister Meenakshi and Sundareswarar held at the Madurai Meenakshi temple during the Chithirai month. The Azhagar Kovil is located at the foot of picturesque hills named after Lord Azhagar to the northwest of Madurai.

The Azhagar Vishnu Temple

The temple itself is surrounded by the ruins of an ancient fort, and main tower at the entrance to the temple is believed to have been built by Pandyan kings. Patronized by the various rulers of Madurai who contributed significantly to the temple, the Alagar temple contains some of the most beautiful sculptures in south India, and rivals even those of the more celebrated Madurai Meenakshi temple.

The primary deity of the temple, Azhagar, is also known as Sundararajar and the idol is covered in pure gold. In addition to the primary shrine, the Azhagar temple also has shrines to Saraswathi and Lord Ganesha, as well as the village deity Karuppannaswami. The secondary mandapams, or halls, of the temple has intricate carvings of mythological figures from Hindu epics.

The Azhagar Kovil is an important pilgrimage spot for Vishnu devotees, and is one of 108 Vishnu temples known as the Divyadesams to have had its praises sung by Vaishnavite saints called the Alwars.

Thirupparankundram is a hill located in a lush landscape 5 miles southeast of Madurai. The Murugan temple at Tirupparankundram is one of the Aru Padai Veedugal, or six sacred abodes of Lord Muruga. The original shrine was a cave temple built in the hill, and extensions were built through the ages.

The significance of the Tiruparankunram temple comes from the legend of Murugan’s marriage to Devayanai, daughter of the king of the Gods, Indra, which took place at this temple and witnessed by Surya and Chandran, the sun and the moon. The marriage took place at Tirupparankunram following the victory of Lord Muruga over the demon, Surapadma.

Mariamman Teppakulam of Madurai

The Mariamman Teppakulam is an enormous tank that is part of the Vandiyur Mariamman Temple of Madurai. The tank was built by the greatest Nayak ruler of Madurai, Thirumalai Nayak, in the 17th century with a mandapam, or hall, in the center of it.

The tank itself is fed by water from the river Vaigai that flows through Madurai through an ingenious series of underground channels. Because the river itself is dry during most of the year, the Mariamman Teppakulam is only filled with water during the monsoon season from November to February.

The Story of the Madurai Teppakulam

Legend has it that an idol of Lord Ganesha was found while the earth in the area was being dug to build the Thirumalai Nayak Mahal, and therefore Thirumalai Nayak decided to build the tank there with a mandapam in the middle to hold the idol. The Mariamman Teppakulam is the venue for the famous Teppa Thiruvizha, or float festival, held during Thai Poosam.

Madurai is synonymous with the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, which forms the heart of the city. Originally built by the Pandyan king Kulasekara, the Tamil Hindu saint Tirugnanasambandhar sang praises to the temple as early as the 7th century AD. The current structures, however, only date back to the 16th century AD, as Madurai was sacked by the Delhi invader Malik Kafur in 1310. It is one of the largest temples in Tamil Nadu.

Meenakshi Temple in Madurai

The Madurai Meenakshi temple is dedicated to the goddess Parvati in the form of Meenakshi, or the fish-eyed goddess. Meen means fish in Tamil, and was the symbol of the Pandyan kings who ruled their kingdom from Madurai. Akshi means rule, and hence Meenakshi literally means 'the goddess of Pandyas rule'.

Madurai Meenakshi and Sundareswarar

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Sundareswarar and his consort, Goddess Parvati in the form of Meenakshi or Fish-eyed Goddess. Legend has it that Lord Shiva, in the form of Sundareswarar, appeared in Madurai with his divine group of followers, to marry the princess of the Pandyan King Malayadwaja Pandya, Meenakshi, who was believed to be an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Parvati. This divine marriage of Madurai Meenakshi is reenacted every year in April as part of Madurai’s largest annual celebration.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple Artistry

Similar to other major South Indian temples, the Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is rich with artistry and sculpture. The gopurams surrounding the temples are filled with exquisitely carved sculptures depicting scenes from Hindu mythology and legend.


Along with the Kanchi Kamakshi Temple and the Vishalakshi Temple in Varanasi, the Madurai Meenakshi Temple is one of the most important shrines of goddess Parvati.