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.