Vallakottai Murugan Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Chennai International Airport (MAA) is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Kanchipuram Railway Station (CJ) is the nearest railway station.

• By road

  Frequent buses run to the village from Tambaram and Sriperumbudur. The temple is 9 km from Sriperumbudur.

Why devotees come here

Vallakottai Murugan Temple is in Vallakottai, a town near Chennai in Kanchipuram district. It is dedicated to Murugan and is considered equal in importance to the Arupadaiveedu, the six abodes of Murugan.

Hindu legend tells of a demon named Vallan who troubled the devas, the celestial deities. The presiding Subramaniya Swamy idol is said to be the tallest Murugan statue in India. The sanctum faces east, and the presiding image is 7 ft (2.1 m) tall in a standing posture.

Local hagiographical records say the temple was believed to have been built in the 9th century. The government tourism page credits the sage Vallaka Maharishi, a devout devotee of Murugan, with establishing it. The temple follows the Tamil Hindu style. Its gateway tower, the rajagopuram, has five tiers, and a pillared porch stands in front of it. The grounds include a temple tank.

Vallakottai is a panchayat town in Kanchipuram district, a district on the northern East Coast of Tamil Nadu that adjoins Chennai city. The town lies on the highway between Sriperumbudur and Singaperumalkoil, near Chengalpattu.

Festivals

• Tamil month of Adi, June to JulyAdi Kiruthikai

  One of the major festivals of the temple.

• Every yearThaipusam

  One of the significant festivals here. A grand annual procession dedicated to Murugan, which the temple celebrates each year.

Tips for your visit

• Ekambareswarar Temple, a Shiva temple and one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, is listed as a nearby attraction.
• Visitors can gaze upon the sacred waters of the temple tank in the temple grounds.

Questions people ask