Pazhamudircholai — “the grove of ripe fruits” — is the sixth of Lord Murugan’s six abodes. The temple lies in the forested Alagar hills north of Madurai, just above the famous Kallazhagar Temple.
Significance
In a well-known story, the Tamil poetess Avvaiyar met young Murugan here disguised as a cowherd boy. When he asked whether she wanted “hot fruit or cool fruit”, he gently taught her a lesson in humility. The temple celebrates Murugan with both his consorts, Valli and Deivanai.
Visiting
The drive up through the hills is pleasant, and the nearby Kallazhagar Temple — a Divya Desam dedicated to Lord Vishnu — is usually visited on the same trip. Pazhamudircholai is covered on our Madurai temple tour and the Arupadai Veedu tour.
