Kazhugachalamurthi Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Thoothukudi Airport is situated at Vaigaikulam.

• By train

  Kovilpatti railway station caters to the town. Thoothukudi and Kovilpatti are the major railway stations of the district.

• By road

  The temple is 21 km from Kovilpatti and 60 km from Tirunelveli, according to the Thoothukudi district tourism page.

Why devotees come here

Kazhugachalamurthi Temple is in Kazhugumalai, a town in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu. Its main deity is Murugan, and the main hall is carved into the foothills of the hill. The town lies between Kovilpatti and Sankarankoil.

The main deity at Kazhugachalamurthi Temple is Murugan, with his wife Deivanai. The temple complex also has shrines to Shiva, Akilandeswari and Vinayakar, along with many lesser deities. The complex has many fine sculptures, and the main deity hall and the entrance hall are excavated into the foothills at the south western corner of the hill.

The temple is dated to the 18th century. Kazhugumalai also has the rock-cut Kalugasalamoorthy Temple, the monolithic Vettuvan Koil and the Kalugumalai Jain Beds, so the hill holds several sites in one place.

The town lies between Kovilpatti and Sankarankoil, on the road that links them. The hill is a dome-shaped rock about 300 feet (91 metres) high. In the past the town was an ancient trade route from Kovilpatti to Courtallam and Sengottai.

Tips for your visit

• Kovilpatti, 21 km away, is on National Highway 44 and has two bus stations.
• The rock-cut Kalugasalamoorthy Temple, the Vettuvan Koil and the Jain Beds are on the same hill, so the visit can cover them too.

Questions people ask