Glory of the Place (Tiruchendur)

Tiruchendur is the second abode of the six chosen spots of Lord Muruga, as described by Nakkirar, the famous Tamil poet. It is situated 40 km south of Tuticorin along the beautiful shores of the Bay of Bengal.

It is approximately 56 km away from Tirunelveli and 88 km from Kanyakumari. It is said that Lord Muruga camped here along with his army to defeat the demon, Surapadma. It is for this reason that this place has become one of the “Padai Veedu”, meaning, the battle camp.

The other names for Tiruchendur are Thirucheeralaivai, Jayanthipuram, Thirubhuvana Maadevi and Chathurvedi Mangalam.

The glory of this pilgrimage has been praised by Nakkirar in his poem, Thirumurugatrupadai and in other Tamil works like Purananooru, Silapathikaram and Devaram. Another famous Tamil poet, Arunagirinathar has compared Tiruchendur with Thirukailai, the abode of Lord Shiva in the Himalayas.

Chandana Hill

The hill on which Lord Muruga is consecrated at Tiruchendur is called Chandana Hill and it rises near the shores of the sea rich in pearl deposits. Kandapuranam glorifies this hill as “Kanda Madana Parvatham”. In Agananooru, this place is described as a ”blend of Marutham and Kurunchi”, that is, a blend of agricultural and mountainous areas. In the olden days the hill was rich in sandalwood trees that have disappeared with the passage of time.