81848732, Amanalingeswarar Temple, Thirumoorthy Hills, Udumalaipettai, Tirupur
81848732, Amanalingeswarar Temple, Thirumoorthy Hills, Udumalaipettai, Tirupur

Amanalingeswarar Temple, Thirumoorthy Hills, Udumalaipettai, Tirupur

Date built: –
Deity: Amanalingeswarar
Architectural style: Dravidian architecture
Major festivals –
Locale: Thirumoorthy Hills, Udumalaipettai
District:: Tirupur
Address: Sri Amanalingeswarar Temple,Dhali, Tirumurthimalai,
Udumalpet, Coimbatore district
Phone +91-4252 – 265 440
Amanalingeswarar Temple (Thirumoorthy Temple) is situated at the foot of the Thirumoorthy hills adjoining the Thirumoorthy dam near Udumalaipet in Tirupur District of Tamilnadu. It is an old temple with beautiful setting and some rare sculptures with a spacious front hall. It is also believed that Jain priests or Samanar lived in the hills when Jainism flourished in Tamil Nadu. The huge rock which is worshiped as Thirumoorthy has a sculpture of a Jain priest.
A popular belief is that this rock rolled down from the hills few centuries ago during a flood. This is supported by the fact that sculpture is carved upside down on rock top. Also, at 900 meter above the mountain, Pancha lingas are present. This is a cave temple on a small hill. All the Lords grace as Swayambumurthis. Thirumoorthy Temple at Udumalaipettai is located at 10°27’26.2″N 77°09’39.9″E or 10.457288, 77.161092.
The picturesque splendour of the Anamalai hill range of Western Ghats, embraces the tumbling water to the Thirumoorthy reservoir from the Panchalingam Falls. A recurrent stream flows by the side of the Sri Amanalingeswarar temple. The lead deity is called Amanalingeswarar. It is an old temple with beautiful setting and some rare sculptures with a spacious front hall. In the temple, Lord Shiva graces in the names of the Mummoorthy Andavar, Tirumuthi Andavar and Amanalingeswarar. This is a cave temple on a small hill. All the Lords grace as Swayambumurthis.
Lord Shiva graces here as a Guru, hence Lord Dakshinamurthi worship is considered very important in the temple. Sage Athri and His wife Anusuya were staunch devotees worshipping the Pancha Lingas in this place.  It is believed that they are still here worshipping the Lord daily. The Three Lords are said to have come to the Eight Pillared Mandapam and stayed here.  As children, they were playing here when a boulder from Kanjamalai hill rolled against him.  Saptha Kannikas placed seven pieces of turmeric to stop the rolling stone and saved the Murthy Children from being crushed.
Mummuthis merged in the stone. The Saptha Kannikas merged in the turmeric pieces.  There is a separate shrine for Saptha Kannikas (seven virgins). Sthala Vriksham is Arasa tree (Peepal tree). Theertham is Thoni River. Lord Vinayaka of the temple is praised as Sundara Ganapathi.  Lord Muruga is Balasubramanian.  The soil has the reputation of having sage Athri Maharshi and his devoted wife Mother Anusuya as its residents in the past.

Temple Opening Time

The temple is open from 6.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m continuously.

Festivals

Four pujas are performed on Mahasivarathri day in February-March. The devotee crowd is usually huge on Aadi new moon day (Aadi Amavasya in July August), Thai new moon day – Thai Amavasya – in January – February, Mahalaya Amavasya – new moon day in Purattasi in September – October. Special pujas on Sundays at 12.30 p.m. and special pujas in Aavani Sundays in August-September and annual abishek days in August are the festive days in the temple.

Prayers

It is believed that those waiting for a child should bathe in the holy spring, worship the Saptha Kannikas for the purpose. Those having rashes or scars in the face (called Maru in Tamil) are advised to bathe in Thoni River and put salt and pepper in the river. Women seeking child boon are advised to sit on a stone called Varadikal with a coconut and fruits and should pray with a determined mind.

During the prayer, if they unknowingly touch the coconut and the fruits, they are sure to achieve the boon. Also unmarried youth seeking higher education, jobs, and peace of mind pray here with fruits and coconut to the Lords. The temple is famous for the sandal paste worship. It is believed that if the devotees throw the sandal balls on the Lord, and if that ball sticks on the forehead of the Lord, their prayers would be fulfilled.

Architecture

Legend / Local stories

According to Hindu mythology, Atri Maharishi along with his wife Anusuya Devi lived here. Sage Narada was moved by the Anusuya’s Devotion to husband and he praised her a lot before the wives of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva which made them envious of her. They requested their husbands to reduce her devotion to husband. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva went to Anusuya as guests when Atri Maharishi was not there at home. They asked her to serve them food.

When she agreed to do so, they said that they will accept her alms on the condition that she serves them without wearing clothes. Anusuya falls into a quandary. If she comes without clothes in front of other men her devotion to husband will be reduced. If she refuses then that will be a disgrace to the guests and they can take away all the power of Atri. Anusuya felt that the three guests who asked such a strange favour are not common people since they are trying to place her in a fiddly situation.

Anusuya prayed to her husband in her mind and said that she doesn’t have any fear serving them without clothes as she is not affected by desire. When she heard the guests asking for alms saying Oh Mother! Give us some food where they called her a mother, she decided to consider them as her children and serve them as requested. Because of her greatness and as per her thoughts by the time she came to serve food the three gods became small children and her breasts started producing milk. She then breastfed them and put them to sleep in a cradle.

Atri came back afterwards and hearing the story from Anusuya praised the three gods sleeping in the cradle. They woke up in their original form and praised Anusuya’s devotion to husband and gave her a boon. Anusuya requested that these three should be born as her children—the incarnation of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma as sage Durvasa, Dattatreya and the moon-god Chandra. The Thiru Moorthi’s blessed the couple and hence the place is known as Thiru Moorthi hills.

Of the many places sacredly attached to Lord, Tirumuthi hills occupy a significant place, because, it is believed that Lord graces here invisibly as a child.  He imparts all boons the devotee asks for.  Tirumurthimalai is also the place indicated by Lord Shiva to Sage Agasthya to have his Kailash wedding darshan.  The place is also revered as Panchalinga Sthala, hence praised as Kailash of South.

Photo Gallery

How to Reach:

It is situated 50 Kms from Pollachi and 23 kms from Udumalpet on the highway from Palani to Coimbatore. Panchalingas are at a height of 900 meters from the foot hill. Bus facilities are conveniently available from Udumalpet and Dharapuram via Dhali. Nearest Railway Station is located at Udumalpet and Nearest Airport is located at Coimbatore.

Contact Details

Sri Amanalingeswarar Temple,
Dhali, Tirumurthimalai,
Udumalpet, Coimbatore district
Phone: +91-4252 – 265 440

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