Koodal Azhagar Temple, Madurai – Tamil Nadu

Description :
Koodal Azhagar Temple in Madurai, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Viyooga Sundarrajan and his consort Lakshmi as Mathuravalli.
A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram, the gateway tower. The temple is originally believed to be built by the Pandyas, with later additions by the Vijayanagara empire and Madurai Nayaks kings who commissioned pillared halls and major shrines of the temple during the 16th century.

Koodal Azhagar is believed to have appeared to slay the demon Somuka who abducted the four Vedas. The temple follows Thenkalai tradition of worship. Four daily rituals and three yearly FESTIVALS are held at the temple, of which the fourteen-day annual Brahmotsavam during the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May – June) being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

About the Temple:

LOCATION: Koodal Alagar Perumal Koil Street Near Periyar Bus Stand, Periyar, Madurai Main, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625001.
COUNTRY: India
NEAREST AIRPORT:Madurai Airport (IXM).
BUILT-IN:16th century.
BUILT-BY:The Pandyas
ARCHITECTURE STYLE:Dravidian architecture.
DEITY:
Viyooga Sundarrajan (Vishnu),Mathuravalli Thayar (Lakshmi).
FESTIVALS:Brahmotsavam.
TEMPLE TIMINGS: 6:30am–12pm, 4–7:30pm.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: All time