KURINJI ANDAVAR MURUGAN TEMPLE, KODAIKANAL –FORWARD
Dear friends, I was working atKodaikkanal as Junior Engineer from 1974-1976. I passed my TES class II examination while working atKodaikkanal and TES class I by promotion. Whenever any Hindu officercomes for inspection, one of their agenda, after work was to visit the KurinjiAndavar temple. Of course I had to follow them. So I have visited many timesthe temple. In addition along with family and friends, hiring taxi many times I visited the temple. It is asmall temple. By the side of the temple in the valley one can watch Kurinjiflowers in the flowering season. I gotan excellent write-up today about the temple and thought of forwarding. An interesting information.I have heard from my father in his younger days with his brother in law he wasrunning a Brahmin hotel for a long periodat Ammainaikkannur- (Kodaikkanal Road railway station) Sincerely, Gopala krishnan10-6-2022 1. Introduction. Located at adistance of 3 km from the Kodaikanal Lake, Kurinji Andavar Temple is the placeworth visiting not just for religious tourists. Dedicated to Lord Muruga, the templeholds an important position amongst Hindu devotes. Lord Muruga is referred as'God of hill'. In Tamil language, the word Kurinji means 'hill region' and Andavar means'God'. Thus the name itself symbolises its connection with the hill and the Godof the hill. The temple has alsoconnection with the Kurinjiflower which blooms on the hill once in 12 years. It is said thatthe flower bloomed last in the year of 2016. According some, the honey from this place during theyear when the Kurinji flower booms has medicinal value. The temple isdedicated to the Lord Muruga who is referred as 'God of hill'. Just famous 3 kms from the lake,it is very famous for its Kurinji flower which blossoms in the area only onceevery 12 years. Along with this, you can also have amazing view of the Palani and Vaigai dam fromthis temple. Apart from thistemple, there are many other religious places as well such as the MariammanTemple, Vinayagar Temple, Murugan Temple, two mosques at Ellis Villa andMunjikal, sacred Heart Church and many more. The temple also acts as an important venue for summerfestival which is organised during the month of May every year.Hordes of tourists visit the temple to seek the God’s blessings. Along withreligious significance, the temple also presents tourists with breath takingview of the Vaigai dam and Palani hills. Thus it is a place which presentsamazing sightseeing options for nature lovers as well as offers goodphotographic opportunities. My note- A hill section road to Palani was underproposal when I was working there and it would have been completed at least 3centuries ago. The hill section road was calculated just 15 KM to Palani. The hill station ofKodaikanal has many other religious spots which also make for an interestingvisit. Some of these are Mariamman Temple, Vinayagar Temple, Murugan Temple,two mosques at Ellis Villa and Munjikal, sacred Heart Church, Munjikal, FrancisXavier Church, Gorapur, St. Mary's Church, Lassalette, St. Joseph's Church,Luthern Mission Church, Lake End, etc. My note- Walking 3 KMs is tiresome because the road is verysteep. 2 Kurinji Andavar Temple History This temple is notjust any other abode of worship, it has a rich historical past. It wasconstructed in 1936 by LadyLeelavathi Ramanathan, an Australian who married the SolicitorGeneral of Ceylon called Ponnambalam Ramanatham. Hindu scriptures inspired herso much that she converted into a Hindu, and after her husband died, she built this templecommemorating his memory. 3 Attractions and other information May is the peakseason when a summer festival is held at the premises. During this time, it iscommon to see the temple jam-packed with local devotees and travellers. It isquite close to Kodai Lake and many other places. One can also buy stuff frommany shops that sell a variety of things inside the temple premises. Honey is one such thing that youmust buy especially when the Kurinji blooms are blossoming. Suchhoney is said to cure many illnesses as it possesses medicinal value. In addition to the idol of Muruga, there are nine idolsof planet gods kept here. This is one of the things to do in Kodaikanal If you come by yourown car or by a hired cab, you would need to pay Rs 5 to the authorities. Entryis totally free. The visiting hours are from seven in the morning to seven inthe evening. There are a few locals who can offer guide services. However,government-approved guides are not available. If you plan to come here duringpeak summer months, you may find a lot of people thronging the temple.Therefore, it is suggested that you come here early in the morning when you cansee the scenic beauty around and pay your homage to Muruga. There is anotherrestriction for the tourists- photography and video shooting is not allowed inside the templepremises. You can take a bus or taxi to come here. 4 Kurinji Andavar Temple Dress Code. The devotee shouldtake a bath before entering the temple and no shoes/footwears are allowedinside of the temple. Men should wear Dhoti/Pajama or Formal Pants and Shirts.Women must wear Ethnic wear and kids must wear any fully covered dress. Must avoid jeans, leggings,and lungis. 5 Other details No entry fee Kurinji AndavarMurugan Temple Kodaikanal Address: Kurinji Andavar Temple Rd, Kodaikanal, TamilNadu, 624101, India Phone 0978 9041 585 Timings Monday to Saturday 7.00AM to 7 PM How to reach Kodaikkanal. By road- Any bus toKodaikkanal fromBatlagund/ Periyakulam or via Batalgundu. Though road is steep there is only one hairpin bendin the route. By train- From Kodaikkanal road railwaystation. 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