Tirumuruganathaswami, Tirumuruganpoondi, Tiruppur

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Tirumuruganathaswami	Ambal / Thayar:	AavingabhushNasudanambagai
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:	Tirumuruganpoondi
Vriksham:	Mullai	Teertham:	Shanmuga Teertham, Gnana Teertham
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	6 to 12 & 4 to 8	Parikaram:
Temple group:	Paadal Petra Sthalam (Kongu Nadu)	–
Sung by:	, Sundarar	Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Tirumuruganpoondi	District:	Tiruppur
Maps from (click):	Current location	Tiruppur (9 km)	Coimbatore (52 km)
	Ooty (54 km)	Erode (61 km)

Location

Tirumuruganpoondi is located northeast of outside Coimbatore, on the road to Erode.

Sthala puranam and temple information

Sundarar was returning from Chera Nadu with a lot of gold and jewelry presented to him by the Chera King (and later a Nayanmar) Cheraman Peruman. As it was getting dark, Sundarar decided to spend the night at the nearby Koopidu Vinayakar temple. This annoyed Lord Siva since Sundarar did not come to him, but went to Vinayakar instead. But Sundarar was a friend of Lord Siva, and so He wanted to test his friend. Accordingly, Lord Siva sent his ganas disguised as bandits, to steal the wealth Sundarar was bringing back. Sundarar prayed to Vinayakar, who showed the former the direction the thieves could be found, by pointing his trunk to the right. When Sundarar went in that direction, he found Lord Siva, berated the latter for not protecting him, and sang pathigams demanding immediate return of the wealth. The ever merciful Siva gave Sundarar back the wealth. This is considered one of Lord Siva’s Tiruvilaiyadals.

Murugan, after the Soorasamharam (killing of Soorapadman) at Tiruchendur, came here to pray to Lord Siva. He created a spring using his vel (spear) and used the water from the spring to install the Siva Lingam. Murugan then left his vel and peacock (his vehicle) outside and went into the temple to worship Lord Siva. As the Lord was installed by Murugan, He is called Tirumuruganathar. Murugan left his peacock near the spear to guard the deity, and so the idol of Murugan in the temple has neither spear nor peacock.

Another version states that by killing Soorapadman, Murugan incurred Brahmahathi dosham, and so He prayed at this temple to be relieved of the dosham. The Brahma Hathi is said to be in the form of a square stone under the neem tree outside the temple.

A Pandya king named Maharathan had no children. He prayed at this temple, after taking a dip a the Shanmuka Teertham, and preparing a sweet payasam which, after neivedyam, was given to local Brahmins. After this, he begot children. As a result, devotees pray for childbirth at this temple.

There is a branch of Cholas called the Kongu Cholas (the Cholas who ruled over Kongu nadu, the general area where this temple is located, approximating modern day Coimbatore and its surrounding areas). This temple is believed to have been built by the Kongu Cholas, and there are inscriptions referring to Vikrama Chola I in the sanctum and prakaram. The images of Kalabhairavar and Lingodhbhavar in the temple are classic examples of Kongu Chola architecture.

This is a Kokkudi Koil – a temple built around a flower garden (Kokkudi is a type of flowering plant)