The Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Marudhamalai (also Maruthamalai or Marudamalai), or the Marudhamalai Murugan Temple, is a popular 12th-century hill temple situated in

Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

, India. Built by

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

kings during the

Sangam period The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...

as indicated in the ''

Purananuru The ''Purananuru'' (, literally "four hundred oemsin the genre puram"), sometimes called ''Puram'' or ''Purappattu'', is a classical Tamil poetic work and traditionally the last of the Eight Anthologies (''Ettuthokai'') in the Sangam literatu ...

'', the temple is dedicated to Lord

Murugan Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...

and is considered the Seventh House of Lord Murugan. Like most Murugan temples, the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

is situated upon a hill, part of the Western Ghats about 12 km west from the centre of the city of

Thai Poosam Thaipusam or Thaipoosam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம், ''taippūcam'' ?), is a festival celebrated by the Hindu Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of ''Thai'' (January/February), usually coinciding with Pushya star, kno ...

and other Murugan festivals are celebrated here. On many evenings, the devotees take out a procession of Lord Murugan sitting in a chariot (Rath Yatra) and encircle the temple. The temple is maintained and administered by the

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislatur ...

of the

Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...

Etymology

The name Marudhamalai refers to the tall granite hill on which the temple stands and is derived from the native tree called or (''

Terminalia arjuna ''Terminalia arjuna'' is a tree of the genus '' Terminalia''. It is commonly known as arjuna or arjun tree in English. Description ''T. arjuna'' grows to about 20–25 metres tall; usually has a buttressed trunk, and forms a wide canopy at the ...

'', also known as the Arjuna tree) which grows there, and , meaning hill or mountain in

. This Murugan temple is special since it is on the east face on the hill, unlike other Murugan temples on the hills.

Marudhamalai Adivaram

Marudhamalai, or Marudhamalai Adivaram (meaning "at the foot of Maradhumalai"), is also the name of the locality to the east of the hill and the temple. It forms part of the 17th ward of

Coimbatore Corporation The Coimbatore Municipal Corporation is the civic body that governs the city of Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the second largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu only after the Greater Chennai Corporation with an area ...

Site

The presiding deity is addressed by multiple names, such as Marudhamalai Andavar, Marudachalapathi and Dhandayuthanpani. There are springs or pools of sacred water (''

theertham Theertham (Theertha or Tirtha) literally refers to water. In Hindu sacred literature, it is referred to as the physical holy water body associated with a temple or deity. As per Hindu religious belief, water is the principal purification mechanis ...

'') around the temple, namely Maruda Theertham and Skanda Theertham, which are believed to possess medicinal properties. Paambatti siddhar history

Pambatti Siddhar

In the southern end of the temple the staircase to the Pambatti Siddhar cave is located. Pambatti Siddhar (or Paambatti Siddhar) was one of the 18

siddhar The Siddhar (Tamil: சித்தர் ''cittar'', from Sanskrit: ''siddha'') in Tamils, Tamil tradition is a perfected individual, who has attained spiritual powers called ''siddhi''. Historically, Siddhar also refers to the people who we ...

s and lived during the 12th century. Pambatti Siddhar performed penance on the Marudhamalai hill. Lord Murugan is said to have appeared as a snake to him, and to have appeared again later along with his consorts

Valli Vaḷḷi ( ta, வள்ளி) ("Creeper, Sweet potato plant") is a Hindu goddess, and the second consort of the deity Murugan. An incarnation of the goddess Sundaravalli, daughter of Vishnu, Valli is born on earth as the daughter of a chiefta ...

and

Deivanai Devasena (, ) is a Hindu goddess of aspiration, and the consort of the war god Kartikeya (Murugan). She is also known as Devayanai, Deivanai, and Deivayanai in Tamil texts. Her name is also spelled as Teyvanai or Tevayanai (). Devasena is d ...

, who is said to have given Siddhar the Marudha Theertham and blessed him. A connecting tunnel route from Lord Murugan's sanctum sanctorum and Siddhar's cave was formed and Siddhar is believed to have used it to worship the Lord.

References

Hindu temples in Coimbatore district Murugan temples in Tamil Nadu Buildings and structures in Coimbatore {{TamilNadu-hindu-temple-stub