As per legend, once Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma desired to establish their supremacy over the other. Lord Shiva appeared before them and challenged them to find his crown and feet to prove their supremacy. Brahma turned into a swan and flew to the sky to find the Lord’s head, while Vishnu turned into a boar Varaha and tried to find the Lord’s feet. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the source. While Lord Vishnu accepted his defeat, Brahma deceived that he found the source of the Lord. Lord Shiva punished Brahma for his deception by cursing that Brahma would never have temples on earth. He asked Brahma to build a temple on the banks of Mutharu River in Thondaimandalam if he wanted to get rid of the curse. Brahma built the temple as said by Lord Shiva and got relieved of the curse.

Devotees offer their prayers at the temple to get relieved of leprosy, to be blessed with marriage boon. Vastras are offered to the God and Goddess as a sign of reverence to the deities.

The Brahmostavam festival is celebrated for 10 days during the Tamil month of Vaikasi. The temple Car festival celebrated on the 9th day is the biggest festival in and around puducherry.

Daily Routine:

Temple’s official website: http://villianurtemple.in/Home

Temple Timings:

06:00 AM to 12:00 PM
04:00 PM to 09:00 PM

Temple Address:

Sri Kokilambigai Samedha Thirukameswarar, Villianur, Puducherry – 605110

Temple Contact Details:

Phone: 0413 266 6396

How to reach:

By Air:

The airports closer to the temple are that of Pondicherry and Chennai at a distance of 10 km and 150 km respectively.

By Rail:

The nearest major railway station is that of Pondicherry at a distance of 10 km.

By Road:

Adequate buses are available from Pondicherry and Villupuram.

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Devotees donate gold and silver offerings to the Goddess, for their wishes getting fulfilled. Those yearning for marriage boon and child boon tie Mangal Sutra and cradle respectively in the sacred tree at the temple. The rice placed in Goddess Annapurani’s lap is taken home and placed in the pooja room, to be bestowed upon with prosperity and to live a life without famine. A sacred thread (Mudikayiru in Tamil) given at the temple, when tied in the hand, is believed to bring relief from evil, illness, witchcraft and magical spells. It also helps in bringing prosperity in family, overcoming the delay and obstacles in marriage and child boon.

Devotees light ghee lamps to get their wishes fulfilled. The benefits that can be attained, for the different number of ghee lamps lit, have been mentioned below.

Daily Routine:

Fee Details:

Temple Timings:

05:00 AM to 09:00 PM

Temple Address:

Arulmigu Angalamman Thirukoil, Melmalayanur, Viluppuram district- 604204

Temple Contact Details:

Phone: 04145 – 234 229, 04145 – 234 201

Email: angalammantemple@gmail.com

How to reach:

By Air:

The airports closer to the Melmalaiyanur are that of Pondicherry and Chennai at a distance of  85 km and 150 km respectively.

By Rail:

The nearest major railway station is Tiruvannamalai at a distance of 35 km.

By Road:

Adequate buses are available to Melmalaiyanur from Gingee(20 km), Tiruvannamalai(40 km) and Avalurpet(10 km).

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There are three temples located closely on the rockfort.

1. Maanikka Vinayakar temple situated at the foothill, dedicated to Lord Ganesha.
2. Uchchi Pillayar temple at the top of the hill, dedicated to Lord Ganesha.
3. Thayumanaswamy temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, situated close to the base of the rockfort on the way to Uchchi Pillayar temple.

Following the victory of Lord Rama in the war against the demon King Ravana, Rama gifted an idol of Lord Vishnu to Ravana’s brother Vibhishana who was on Rama’s side during the war. When Vibhishana was carrying this idol gift on his way back to Lanka, he decided to rest at a place near Trichy. It was when the Devas sent Lord Ganesha to him in disguise as a little boy since the former did not want the idol to be taken by a member from the Asura family. Vibhishana handed over the idol to the little boy requesting him to take care of the idol till he came back after a shower. Lord Ganesha placed the idol on the ground firmly and hid himself. On his return, Vibhishana found the idol being placed on the ground. His repeated attempts to move the idol failed. He got furious and chased the little boy who ran and climbed over a rock. He hit the boy on his fore head after which Lord Ganesha revealed himself. Vibhishana apologized with the Lord after realizing the real identity. As per the Lord’s advice, Vibhishana left to Lanka without the idol.

It was around this idol that Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple was then built. Also a temple for Lord Ganesha was built on the rock on which the Lord ran in disguise as a little boy to escape from Vibhishana.

Devotees usually pay obeisance to Maanika Vinayagar Temple in the foothills of Rock fort before worshipping Uchi Pillaiyar.

Daily routine:

Fee structure:

Official Website: http://www.trichyrockfort.tnhrce.in/index.html

Temple Timings:

Uchchippillaiyaar Temple

6:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Thayumana Swamy Temple

6:00 AM to 12:00 PM

04:00 PM To 08:00 PM

Manikka Vinayagar Temple

05:30 AM To 12:00 PM

04:00 PM To 09:00 PM

Temple Address:

Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort, N Andar St, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 620002

Temple Contact Details:

Phone: 0431 – 2704621

Email: thiruchyrockforttemple@gmail.com

How to reach:

By Air:

The nearer airport to the temple is that of Trichy at a distance of 10 km.

By Rail:

The nearest major railway station is Trichy at a distance of 6 km.

By Road:

Adequate buses are available from Trichy.

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The idol of Natarajar made out of emerald is an uncommon sight not found in any other temple. It is known as Maragadha Natarajar wholly smeared with sandal paste. The sandal paste is removed only in the month of December/January(Tamil month Margazhi) on Thiruvathirai star day to perform abhishekam. This special darshan is known as Arudhra darshan. Several thousands of devotees throng the temple during this event since the idol is then again covered with sandal paste.

As per legend, Mandodhari, the then wife of Ravana, was desirous of marrying an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. She offered her prayers to Lord Shiva to fulfill such a wish. Lord Shiva handed over the veda scripts to the sages to safeguard them till he returns after gracing his blessings on Mandodhari. Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a small boy to Mandodhari. When Ravana deliberately touched the boy knowing it is Lord Shiva, the Lord tested Ravana by converting himself into fire(Agni), resulting in the entire world getting blazed. Due to their guilt of being unable to safeguard the veda scripts from fire everywhere, the sages threw themselves into the temple tank and lost their lives. It is only sage Manikavasagar who saved the scripts and handed over to Lord Shiva. Hence the temple has a separate shrine for sage Manikavasagar.

Unlike other temples where devotees worship the Lord once during their visit, this temple is where devotees offer their prayers thrice a day. Worshipping the God and Goddess in the morning will remove the sins of previous birth, worshipping in the afternoon removes the sins of present birth and worshipping in the evening grants longevity, professional development and profitability. Goddess Mangaleswari is believed to remove the obstacles and delay in marriage. Devotees perform abhishekam and offer vastras to the God and Goddess.

Temple Timings:

06:00 AM to 11:00 AM

04:00 PM to 08:00 PM

Temple Address:

Sri Mangalanathar-Mangaleswari temple, Utrakosamangai, Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu 623533.

Temple Contact Details:

Phone: +91-4567 221213, +91-9442757691

How to reach:

By Air:

The nearer airport to the temple is that of Madurai at a distance of 120 km.

By Rail:

The nearest railway station is that of Ramanathapuram at a distance of 18 km.

By Road:

Private and public transportation are available from Ramanathapuram which is just 18 km from the temple. Adequate buses are available from major cities of Tamil Nadu to Ramanathapuram.

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As per legend, around 1200 years ago, a saint along with a priest who were staunch devotees of Lord Muruga, were habitual of visiting the Lord at Tiruttani on Aadi Kirthika day every year. When once they were unable to make it to Tiruttani to have darshan, they were extremely disappointed. The same night, Lord Muruga is believed to have appeared in their dreams and pacified them that they no longer needed to worry since the Lord had self manisfested himself in a hillock here in Vilvarani. He directed them to build a temple there and conduct poojas on Krithigai star days. The two devotees then rushed to find the self manifestation of the Lord on the Vilvarani hill and started to worship there since then.

Every month, on the Krithigai day, special poojas and abhishekams are conducted at the temple. Girivalam(circumambulating the hill) is also performed by the devotees. Thai Krithigai, Aadi Krithigai and Kandha Shashti are celebrated in a grand manner at the temple.

Daily Routine:

Pooja Details:

Temple Timings:

08:00 AM to 12:00 PM

04:00 PM to 06:00 PM

Temple Address:

Nakshatra Giri Murugan temple, Chengam, Vilvarani, Tamil Nadu 606906.

Temple Contact Details:

Phone: +91-9994884878, +91-7826809023

How to reach:

By Air:

The nearest airport to the temple is that of Chennai at a distance of 170 km.

By Rail:

The nearest major railway station is that of Tiruvannamalai at a distance of 30 km.

By Road:

The Vilvarani Murugan temple is located in the Polur-Chengam route. There are frequent buses available from Polur which is located about 45 km and 35 km from Vellore and Tiruvannamalai respectively.

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Devotees throng the temple especially on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays since those days are usually considered auspicious for Maha Kaali. The mother goddess is strongly believed to provide quick relief to persons with chicken pox and small pox. Hence the persons affected are sprinked with the sacred water that is used on the Goddess for abhishekam. The temple provides an isolated hall for the affected persons to stay.

Devotees usually buy small metallic model of the body parts that require a cure and drop them at the donation box. Such an act is strongly believed to bring relief from their illness. The Goddess is offered with maavilaku(lamp made of rice flour, jiggery, ghee) and raw salt by the devotees.

Daily Routine and Six Kaala Pooja Kattalai:

Courtesy: http://www.samayapurammariammantemple.in/index.php

Temple Timings:

05:00 AM to 11:00 AM

04:00 PM to 08:00 PM

Temple Address:

Arulmigu Maariamman Temple,
Samayapuram – 621 112,
Trichy District,
TAMILNADU, INDIA

Temple Contact Details:

Phone No.0431 – 2670460, 2670557

Fax. 0431 – 2670557

Email: symmariamman@gmail.com

How to reach:

By Air:

The nearer airport to Samayapuram temple is that of Trichy at a distance of 25 km.

By Rail:

The nearest major railway station is Trichy at a distance of 20 km.

By Road:

Adequate buses are available from Trichy which is 15 km from the temple.

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Lord Ganesha at this temple is strongly believed to be the Lord of justice. Devotees take a dip in the sacred water of the temple tank and swear before the idol of the presiding deity to get rid of their sins. Interestingly, there have been instances where the power of Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka made the miscreants accept their faults even before stepping into the judicial court or the inner chambers of the temple or immediately after taking the holy dip.

As per legend, there lived three brothers who were mute, deaf and blind respectively. They made their living through cultivation. One day, when they were digging a well to fetch water to their field, the device they were using, suddenly hit a hard object. As they dug further, they noticed that there was blood oozing out from it, turning the well water red. To everyone’s surprise, the three brothers instantly got rid of their disabilities. On hearing this, the villagers rushed to the spot and tried to retrieve the deity of Lord Vinayaka found under the water, but all in vain. The deity of Lord Ganesha still rests in the water.

Daily Routine:

Pooja Details:

Courtesy: http://www.kanipakam.com/maintemple.html

Temple Timings:

04:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Temple Address:

Sri Swayambu Varasidhi Vinayakaswamy
Vari Devasthanam,
Kanipakam, Irala Mandal
Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh – 517131.

Temple Contact Details:

Phone: 085732 81540

How to reach:

By Air:

The nearer airport to the temple is that of Tirupati at a distance of 83 km.

By Rail:

The nearest major railway station is that of Tirupati at a distance of 70 km.

By Road:

Adequate buses are available to Kanipakam Vinayaka temple which is about 11 km from Chittoor, 68 km from Tirupati and 50 km from Vellore.

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Devotees visit the temple for marriage boon, child boon and educational excellence. When their wishes come true, they perform milk abhishekam and offer Vastra to the Lord. Among the six abodes of the lord, this is the only temple where the idol of the presiding deity graces the devotees, with his consorts on either side.

As per legend, Pazhamudircholai is the holy place where Lord Murugan enacted a divine play with the Tamil poetess and scholar Avvaiyar who was an ardent devotee of the Lord. Once Avvaiyar came to rest under the shade of a tree. Realizing that she was tired, Lord Muruga, in disguise as a small boy, was sitting on the tree. He asked her if she would like to have some fruits to eat. When Avvaiyar agreed, the boy inquired if she wants roasted or unroasted fruit. Avvaiyar smiled at the child’s innocence about the non existence of roasted and unroasted fruits. However she chose to have unroasted fruit to please the little boy. The Lord shook the tree branches, for the fruits to fall. Avvaiyar picked up a fruit and blew off the sand on the fruit. The boy playfully asked her if she was blowing to cool down the roasted fruit since it was hot. Avvaiyar was surprised to see the instantaneous wit of the boy and beseeched him to let her know who he was. It was then that the boy revealed his true identity as Lord Muruga.

The name ‘Pazhamudicholai’ (Pazham-fruit, udir-fall, cholai-grove) is believed to have gained its name from the above incident.

The temple’s sthala vriksha is rose apple tree. Unlike the rose apple trees that usually yields fruits in the month of july to september, the tree in Pazhamudircholai yields fruits that ripen only in the month of Aippasi(October/November).

Special Festival Days:

Temple Timings:

06:00 AM to 06:00 PM

Temple Address:

Sri Solaimalai Murugan temple, Alagar Hills R.F, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu 624401

Temple Contact Details:

Phone: 0452-247 0228

How to reach:

By Air:

The nearest airport to the temple is that of Madurai at a distance of 40 km.

By Rail:

The nearest major railway station is that of Madurai at a distance of 25 km.

By Road:

There are frequent buses available from the foot hill to the temple atop the hill. Adequate buses are available from Madurai bus station.

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It is believed that sage Bhogar created the idol of the Lord at this temple, out of Navapashanam which is a combination of nine poisonous herbs namely Veeram, Pooram, Rasam, Jathilingam, Kandagam, Gauri Pasanam, Vellai Pasanam, Mridharsingh and Silasat. The ablution of the Lord’s idol with milk, sandal paste and other substances gives them medicinal properties and hence taken by the devotees to cure many diseases.

As per legend, Sage Narada who visited Lord Shiva at Mount Kailash decided to present a fruit (the fruit of knowledge) to one of the two sons of Lord Shiva who first completed the cirucumambulaton of the world thrice. Accepting the challenge, the younger son Murugan embarked on his journey around the world on his vehicle peacock. But the elder son Lord Ganesha, who considered his parents to be his world, circumambulated Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati thrice, thus completed the challenge first. When Lord Murugan completed the challenge, he already found the fruit been presented to Ganesha. This made him furious and hence left outrageous to Palani, thus Palani becoming one of his abodes.

There are stairs, elephant path, rope car service and winch service to reach the temple atop the hill.

Daily Routine:

Pooja Details:

Official website: http://palanimurugantemple.org/#/

Temple Timings:

05:30 AM to 01:00 PM

04:00 PM to 09:00 PM

Temple Address:

Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Thirukoil, Giri Veedhi, Palani – 624 601.
Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu.

Temple Contact Details:

Phone: +91-4545 241293 , +91-4545 240293

Email: palanimurugan@tnhrce.com

How to reach:

By Air:

The nearer airports to the temple are that of Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy at a distance of 105 km, 115 km and 160 km respectively.

By Rail:

The nearest railway station is that of Palani at a distance of 2 km which is on Coimbatore-Dindigul railway line.

By Road:

Buses are available from other major cities of the state namely Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tuticorin.

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As per legend, a demon King Surapadman followed penance to pacify Lord Shiva and was blessed with boons. As a result, he obtained enormous powers, which were misused by him to capture and trouble the Devas. To release the Devas from the bondage, Lord Indra sought the help of Muruga, who then fought a severe battle with Surapadman in Thiruparankundram, killing him instantly. The lance of Murugan pierced Surapadman, splitting him into two pieces that later became his divine vehicles, peacock and rooster.  This event is celebrated in grandeur as Skanda Sashti festival in all the temples of Murugan.

Unlike the other temples of Arupadai Veedu, Lord Muruga graces the devotees in a sitting posture. He is seen in his divine wedding form with his consort Deivayanai.

The Lord’s Vel at this temple is given utmost importance since Lord Muruga came to this place victoriously after defeating the demon Surpadman with the power of this weapon. Abishekam is performed to the Vel weapon of Lord Muruga. Only a scented paste called punugu is applied on the Lord.

 Daily Routine:

 Fee details:

 For more details on the temple, please visit the official website of Subramanya Swamy Temple

Temple Timings:

05:00 AM to 01:00 PM

04:00 PM to 09:00 PM

Temple Address:

Arulmigu Subramaniaswamy thirukovil,

Thiruparakundram,

Madurai – 625 005, TamilNadu.

Temple Contact Details:

Phone: 0452-2484359, 2482248.

How to reach:

By Air:

The nearest major airport is Madurai at a distance of 10 km.

By Rail:

Thiruparankundram has its own railway station. The nearest major railway station is Madurai junction at a distance of 8 km.

By Road:

This temple town has adequate buses from Madurai in the Thirumangalam route.

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