- December 21, 2024
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Temples are sacred structures designed to bring humans and the Gods together. Temples are also built as a structure to express the ideas and beliefs of Hinduism. When a king travels for a war, he stays with his forces in a camp and that location is called as Padai Veedu. In the same way, Lord Murugan went in a war against the Demon Surapadman and destroyed him. During the war, the Lord Murugan camped in “Thiruchendur”. Though the Lord Murugan camped only in Thiruchendur, including the other five places, it is collectively called as Arupadai Veedu. Pazhamudircholai Murugan Temple is one among the Arupadai Veedu (the 6 abodes of the Lord Murugan).
Pazhamudircholai Murugan Temple is one among the Arupadai Veedu (the 6 abodes of the Lord Murugan) and to be exact it is the sixth abode of the Lord Murugan. It is located in the state of Tamil Nadu about 15 miles from the District called Madurai. It is believed that this is where the Lord Murugan disguised himself as a boy and tested the Tamil Poet Avvaiyar. The temple for the Lord Vishnu, the Azhagar Temple is nearby. “Arunagirinathar has sung Thriupugazh on this temple”. This place is also called as Solaimalai. The Lord Murugan here is called as Vetrivel Murugan. The name Pazhamudircholai means “the fruit orchard”.
The Lord Murugan is called as the Tamil God. He is usually described as the handsome. The Lord Murugan plays tricks in each and every abode. Here, in Pazhamudircholai it is believed that this is where the Lord Murugan disguised himself as a boy and tested the Tamil female Poet Avvaiyar, who was on her way to Madurai.
Pride arose as the Poet Avvaiyar had gone to the pinnacle of fame by her erudition. The Lord Murugan, who wanted to free Avvaiyar from that arrogance, appeared as a shepherd boy on her way through the forest to Madurai. There he climbed a branch of a novel tree and sat over it. Exhausted by the long walk, the Poet Avvaiyar came and sat down under the tree. As she travelled a long distance, it not only made her tired but also hungry.
Then, by chance, she saw a shepherd boy sitting on the branch of the tree, under which she reacted. She also noticed that there were a lot of novel fruits on that tree. Immediately, she asked the boy, “Boy, I’m hungry. Can you pluck me some novel fruits? ”. To which, the Lord Murugan, who disguised as a shepherd boy questioned her as “Do you want hot fruit or chilled fruit? (Sutta Pazham Venuma? Sudatha Pazham Venuma?)”.
She cannot understand the boy’s question and she was wondering does the fruits even have hot fruit and chilled fruit. She jokingly asked him for the chilled fruits. The boy replied that, “Oh! You want chilled fruits. Ok! Let me shake the branches of the tree and you pick up the hot ones”. As he shook the tree, the fruits fell over the ground and the Poet Avvaiyar picked it up and blew it with her mouth in order to remove it as the sand was sticking to the fruit. Now, the boy questioned her as “What Grandma, is the fruit hot?”.
Her arrogance flew away by that one question of the boy. Predicting that the boy who had made herself think could not be a human for sure and so she asked, “Boy, Who are you?. The boy jumped down from the tree, showed his true self and blessed her.
The branch of the novel tree where this incident took place is still found at the top of the Pazhamudircholai. We can still see this tree just before entering the Solaimalai Murugan Temple.
In the early days, there was only the trident and later they made the statue of the Lord Murugan alongside the Goddesses Valli and Theivanai. This is the only temple where the Lord Murugan can be seen with his wives Valli and Theivanai among the 6 abodes of the Lord Murugan.
Slightly above Pazhamudhircholai, the holy pond is located and is called as Nupura Ganga. It is also called as Silambaru and is also believed to be 1000 years old. The Goddess Rakayi temple is located here. Worshipers of this goddess usually take a holy bath at the place where the Nupura Ganga falls. Samba Dosa, an offering made for the devotees of the famous Azhagar temple is made from this holy water.
Normally the fruits of the novel tree ripen in the month of Tamil months Aadi (Mid – July) and Avani (Mid – August). But, only in the novel tree of this temple can be seen with ripened fruits in the Tamil month of Ippasi (Mid – October) because of the miracle of the Lord Murugan.
The Kanda Sashti festival is celebrated as the main festival in this temple. Special prayers and anointing is also held on the days of Vaikasi Visakam, Aadi Karthigai, Varushabishekam on Avani Pooram, Karthika Somavaram, Thirukarthigai, Panguni Uthiram and Tamil New Year.
After completing the prayers, they offer milk and clothes to the Lord Murugan.
The Pazhamudircholai Murugan temple is open for worship from morning 06:00 am to evening 06:00 pm.
Alagar Hills R.F, Tamil Nadu 624401
Pazhamudircholai Murugan Temple Contact Number: +914522470228
