Thirupparankundram Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Madurai Airport at Avaniyapuram is the nearest airport, about 12 km from Madurai city.

• By train

  Tirupparankundram station is about 6 km from Madurai Junction, the main station in the city.

• By road

  State Transport Corporation buses run regularly from Madurai city.

On the way

• Stone stairs and a walkway run up from the northern end of the hill.
• Another path leads up from the southern end.

Rules to know

• A court ruling bans animal sacrifice at the site.

Why devotees come here

Thirupparankundram Temple stands on a sacred hill about 8 km south of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the six abodes of Murugan, also called Subrahmanya, known as Arupadaiveedu. The hill is called Kandhamalai, the hill of Kandha, and its cave shrines are dated to the 8th century.

Thirupparankundram is one of the six special abodes of Murugan, also called Subrahmanya. These six sites are known as Arupadaiveedu, and this one is among the most visited places in Madurai. The hill itself is sacred to Hindus and is known as Kandhamalai. Legend says the marriage of Subrahmanya with Devayanai, daughter of Indra, was celebrated here.

The cave shrines here are dated to the 8th century and attributed to the Pandiyans. Shrines, mandapas (pillared halls) and other halls were added from the 7th to 16th century by various Hindu dynasties. The inner sanctum is carved out of a single rock. The walls and pillars have carvings.

The hill is climbed by stone stairs and a walkway from the northern end, and another path starts at the southern end. On the western side of the hill, a rock-cut temple is dedicated to Kasi Viswanathar.

Festivals

• AnnualSanthanakoodu festival

  A court ruling permitted the annual Santhanakoodu festival at the site.

Tips for your visit

• A rock-cut temple to Kasi Viswanathar stands on the western side of the hill.
• The sanctum is carved out of a single rock, and the walls and pillars have carvings worth a slow look.

Questions people ask