Sri Pandi Muneeswarar Temple (commonly known as ''Pandi Kovil)'' is a temple located in
Melamadai
Melamadai is 30th ward of Madurai corporation in Madurai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In 2012 Melamadai included in Madurai Corporation. Vandiyur Lake is located in Melamadai Geographical Area. The famous Pandi temple is located ...
area of
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
city in
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
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The main deity of the temple is ''Pandi Muneeswarar''. It is believed that a
Pandya king called Nedunchezhiyan is worshipped as Pandi Muneeswarar in this temple.
Legend
According to an old legend, two hundred years ago, a couple named Valliammal and Periyasamy were travelling from Karur to Madurai. As it got dark on the way to Madurai, they decided to stay at Melamadai near the present Mattuthavani and slept there. At night, a long-bearded sage appeared in Valliammal's dream and told him that he was Pandyan Nedunchezhiyan, the ruler of Madurai, and that he had been meditating in the same place, eight feet deep in the earth as a penance for the injustice he did for
Kovalan
Kovalan ( ta, கோவலன்) is a central character in Ilango Adigal's ''Silappatikaram,'' one of the ancient Tamil epics.
Family
Father : Machattuvan
Wife : Kannagi
Lover : Madhavi
Daughter : Manimekalai (Mother: Madhavi)
Narrativ ...
, the husband of
Kannagi by taking rebirth. He further added that, if they worship him, then he would protect and bless their family. A startled Valliammal told her husband what had happened and they unearthed the idol buried eight feet deep in the soil. After that, a temple was built on the site and the community of Valliammal continues to worship and maintain this temple till today.
References
{{coord missing, India
Hindu temples in Madurai