About 12-km away from Coimbatore
railway station is the Marudhamalai temple of Lord Muruga. The temple is
situated on the Marudamalai (Maruda is the colloquial form of Marunthu
which means medicine; Malai means mountain) mountain and is one of the
most visited temples in the region, the reason being that the presiding
deity, known as "Dandayuthapani" is believed to have performed
several miracles here.
Legend Connected With Marudamalai
In the course of the epic fight to kill Ravana, Lakshmana, the younger
brother of Lord Rama, was hit by Ravana's son, Indrajit, by a 'Nagastra'
(also spelt as Nagashastra), probably by arrows dipped in snake-poison or
by an arrow delivering a number of serpents. When Lakshmana was lying
unconscious, Rama, much perturbed at heart, requested Anjaneya to fly to
the Kailas (also spelt as Kailash) Mountain in the Himalayas to bring
Sanjeevini, the medicinal herb and an antidote to all poisons.
Anjaneya reached the mountain but was unable to locate the particular
herb wanted. So, instead of coming back empty handed, he uprooted the
Gandamarutha Mountain and carried it with him, so that the required
medicine could be taken, from it. It is said that while he was carrying
the mountain, a chip of it fell down at this spot and it is known today as
"Marunthu - Malai".
The peculiarity of this hill is that, even now, during the rainy season,
many kinds of medicinal herbs, largely used in the preparation of
medicines in Ayurvedic pharmacopea, grow on it. People believe that even
the bitter leaves of trees and the ordinary grass that is found on the
mountain tastes sweet when cooked. Anjaneya installed a Linga (also spelt
as lingam) on this mountain, which is to this day devoutly visited and
worshipped by pilgrims.
Festivities
The celebrations of this temple are 'Thaipoosam' and 'Thirukarthigai' in
January and February.
Temple Timings: 5.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Air: Peelamedu airport is 10-km from
Coimbatore. Regular flights connect
Coimbatore with major cities like
New Delhi,
Mumbai,
Chennai,
Kolkotta , etc.
Rail:Coimbatore is well connected by
rail with the important places within and beyond the state.
Road: State Transport Corporation's Interstate Express buses are
available from the Central bus stand situated at Gandhipuram,
Coimbatore. City buses, taxis and
autorickshaws are also available to reach the temple. From the bottom of
the hill, the temple can be reached by climbling up a flight of steps with
resting mantaps or through a good motorable ghat road.
Accommodation is available at the star and economy class hotels, lodges, and hostels in Coimbatore.
