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The
Thirupparankundram Temple is about 8 kms from Madurai, atop a hill.
This is a rock cut temple of Lord Subrahmanya. It is one of the six
abodes of Lord Murugan(Subrahmanya).
It is said
that the marriage of Lord Subrahmanya with Deivayani, daughter of
Lord Indra took place here. Therefore, this temple is regarded as a
sacred place for marriages. There is a popular belief that the
marriages done here will have the special blessing of Lord Muruga
and will be successful.
There is also a Muslim shrine dedicated to 'Sekunder' who is
associated with Murugan by the Muslim pilgrims. It is believed that
Sekunder was a friend of Muruga.
This rock cut temple is built by Pandyas in the 8th century. Its
innermost shrine is cut out of a solid rock. There are seperate
shrines for Shiva, Vinayaka, Durga, Vishnu and other deities.
The temple
has a 14-day festival, in March/April, which celebrates the victory
of Murugan over the demon Suran, his coronation, and his subsequent
marriage to Devayani.
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