Sri Murugan Temple - Chennimalai

Chennimalai Murugan Temple is located at Chennimalai near Perunthurai in Erode district in the state of Tamilnadu.

Lord Subramanya Swamy is the presiding deity of this temple.

This is the sacred place where Sri Skanda Sashti Kavacham was staged.

This temple is situated about 600 meters above sea level and is accessed through a flight of 1000 steps.

Water for Tirumanjanam is taken to the temple on the bullocks from the foot of the hills. Water flows in plenty from a spring on the southern side of the temple with Lord Vinayaka gracing the temple.

The temple is facing the East direction and is built in the Dravidian style of architecture which has a 5-tier Raja gopuram, Ardha mandapam, Maha mandapam, and koneru named Mamanga theertham. There is an inscription in the mandapam built by Vettuvappalayam Velan Thambiran in the foothills of the temple. This gives information on the offering made by Murungai Perunthozhuvar to Lord Murugan during the reign of Kumara Varma Sundara Pandiyan. There is also an inscription on the left side of the entrance of the sanctum. This inscription was dated to Kaliyuga year 1641. This may be approximately 357 years old. There is another 600-year-old inscription and according to that inscription, this place is called Pidariyur.

Hundreds of years ago there lived a landlord in this town who had hundreds of dairy cows on his farm, one among them was a Black color Cow (Karam Pasu). Every day the Cowherd locks up all the Cows in the evening after they have grazed the whole day. The Cowherd noticed that there was no milk in the udder of the Karam Pasu for a few days and informed the landlord. The landlord also observed for some time that during the evening, when all the cows come back after grazing, this Karam Pasu used to separate from the rest and proceed to a particular spot and discharge the milk by itself. He decided to dig the spot where the cow flows its milk every day. On digging about 5 to 6 Feet a beautiful statue of Lord Muruga was found. He was ecstatic about finding the idol. Further, he noticed that idol was beautifully sculpted up to the hip and the lower portion was rough. The best artisan was summoned to complete the job. Everyone was shocked to see that on the first chisel, the idol started to bleed. The landlord realized that this was god’s will to be the way it was. So he consecrated this idol of Lord Dandayudapani on a nearby hill, which is today known as Chennimalai Hill. Even today one can see the lower portion of the Moolavar Vigraham is still the same way.

 

A long time ago, Nagarjuna and Vayudeva were tangled as to which of them was more important and superior to the other, so a battle was fought between them to determine their strength. When Nagarjuna hugged a mountain by the name of Mahameru and held on to it, Vayudeva reciprocated by blowing vigorously, as a result of which the peak of Mahameru was blown away and fell at Poondurai (Perundurai).

  

 This temple was built 500 years ago.

Temple Timings

6.00 am to 11.00 am

4.00 pm to 8.00 pm 

Pooja Schedule

5.30 am – Gopuja

7.00 am – First time Pooja

8.00 am – Morning Pooja

12.00 pm – Utchi Kala Pooja

5.00 pm – Saya Raksha Pooja

7.00 pm – Rakkala Pooja

8.00 pm – Arthajama Pooja

8.15 pm – Temple Closes

Festivals

Thai Poosam festival is celebrated for 15 days.

How to reach the Temple

3 km from Chennimalai

90 km from Coimbatore

440 km from Chennai

Nearby Temples

Bhavani Erode, Sri Sangameswarar Temple – 14 km

Modachur, Sri Pachaimalai Murugan Temple – 49 kms