Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple, Tiruchendur

Timings

5 am to 12 noon, 4 pm to 9 pm

Distance from Thoothukudi

About 40 km

Nearest railway station

Tiruchendur (about 2 km)

Nearest airport

Thoothukudi or Madurai

Main festival

Kanda Sashti (October–November)

Legend

Tradition holds that Tiruchendur is where Murugan defeated the demon Surapadman, and then showed him mercy by turning him into his peacock mount and rooster banner. The victory is celebrated as Kanda Sashti, which falls on the sixth day after the new moon in the Tamil month of Aippasi, and the re-enactment of the battle, called Soorasamharam, on the beach is the high point of the temple year.

Worship and festivals

The deity receives abhishekam several times a day, and offerings such as curd rice, sweet pongal and payasam are distributed afterwards. Many devotees come praying for marriage or children. The temple complex is large, with tall gopurams and long pillared corridors, and pilgrims often visit the nearby Nazhi Kinaru, a freshwater well close to the shore.

• Kanda Sashti (October–November)
• Vaikasi Visakam, Murugan's birthday (May–June)
• Masi festival, 12 days with a float festival (February–March)

Timings and tips

The temple is open from 5 am to 12 noon and from 4 pm to 9 pm. Many pilgrims bathe in the sea before darshan; take care, as the waves can be strong. Dress modestly, and expect very long queues during Kanda Sashti and on weekends. Paid darshan tickets can shorten the wait.

How to reach

Tiruchendur has its own railway station, about 2 km from the temple, with trains from Tirunelveli and Chennai. Thoothukudi is roughly an hour away by bus or taxi, and Thoothukudi and Madurai have the closest airports. From the Tiruchendur bus stand, autos run to the temple.

Nearby places

Nearby you can visit the Karkuvel Ayyanar temple, the Vishnu temple at Alwarthirunagari and the long Tiruchendur beach. We can plan a southern Tamil Nadu pilgrimage covering Tiruchendur with the other Murugan abodes.

Also nearby