Pazhamudircholai Murugan Temple - Solaimalai Murugan Temple

Pazhamudircholai Murugan temple is one of the six sacred abodes of lord Muruga, located in Alagar hills. It is also known by the name Solaimalai Murugan Temple. There are two famous legends about lord Murugan. The famous legend of the temple is that once, the lord here characterized himself as a boy to test the great Tamil poet and saint Avvaiyar, who was one of the very famous devotees of lord Murugan. Once Avvaiyar was taking a rest under the shadow of a tree. She was very hungry and thirsty. At that time, a small boy who was sitting on the tree asked her for fruits. She responded in a positive way then the boy asked for roasted fruits or unroasted fruits. Surprised, Avvaiyar thought that the little boy did not have knowledge about a fruit and she asked him to pick roasted fruits for her. The boy shook the tree and so fruits fell under the tree into mud. The mud under the tree had stuck on the fruit and Avvaiyar had to blow on fruits to remove the mud like one would have to blow to cool down the roasted one.

Avvaiyar was astonished and realized that the boy is not a normal child and she asked the small boy, ‘Who are you actually?’. Then the lord Muruga appeared. Now, Avvaiyar realized that it was a play of God and she understood that there were more and more things to learn. She bowed to lord Muruga and requested him to bestow her with bountiful knowledge. Lord Muruga is said to show his incarnation to the deities in two forms, one as Valli and other as Davayanai which represents the power of desire and the power of work. It is also said that if the lord is pleased with the devotees, then he makes a fruit fall from the tree, this is called the ‘Karma phala’. Pazhamudircholai is a fertile hill with different species of trees and natural springs. A natural spring called Noopura Gangai, with a temple to Rakkayi Amman, is located atop the hill. Pilgrims coming to the Pazhamudircholai temple take a dip in this small, sacred spring that is said to have originated from the anklet of lord Vishnu. The water of this spring is sweet in nature and has medicinal values. Rituals for the departed souls are performed in this spring.