Ettugudi Murugan Temple, Nagapattinam

Address

Ettugudi village, Thirukkuvalai taluk,

Nagapattinam District,

Tamil Nadu 610204

Moolavar

Murugan

Amman

Valli, Deivanai

Introduction

Ettugudi Murugan Temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan, located in the Ettugudi village, Thirukkuvalai taluk, Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu. This Shiva temple has been worshiped since the ninth century. The ‘Ettugudi’ shrine has various features. Here the presiding deity is called as Lord Murugan, along with Valli Deivanai. The lord Murugan is facing east. On his left is Lord Soundaresvara with his sanctum on his right and Nandi is before him. Ambikai Ananthavalli is looking towards the west. In front of him there is a sacred place of Vanmeekar Siddhar under a Vanni tree.

Puranic Significance

The Temple is believed to be 1000 years old. There once lived a sculptor in a village called Porulvaithaseri chanting ever the glory of Lord Muruga with Sharavana Bhava mantra. He sculpted an idol of the Lord with six faces. Seeing the beauty of the idol, a jealous Chola king cut off the thumb of the sculptor so that he could not do another one for anybody. The sculptor moved to another village, enduring all the pain made out another one with equal beauty. The chieftain of the village saw this idol and enjoyed its beauty. While the idol was nearing completion rays of light flew from the idol and the peacock bearing Lord Muruga began to fly. The chieftain cried, jump and catch it meaning Ettipidi in Tamil. In the effort of catching it, the leg portion of the peacock was a little damaged. This idol was installed here. The name of the place came to be known as Ettipidi, changed to Ettikudi and finally stood as Ettugudi. The sculptor made a third idol also which was installed in Enkan. The first was installed in Sikkal, the second in Ettukudi. All the idols are similar in look. A clarification to the special feature: Lord Muruga in this temple appears in different forms to the eyes of the devotees depending on the imagination of their mind as a child, youth and an elderly person.

Lord Muruga appears before the devotee as a child, youth and an elderly person suiting to the imagination of the devotee. Chitra Poornima festival is grandly celebrated in the temple. The devotee is relieved of his/her sins when simply touching the Saravanapoigai water. Lord Soundaranayakar and Mother Anandavalli grace the devotees as the parents of Lord Muruga in the temple. Those suffering from fear complex, children in particular, gain confidence and courage as Lord Muruga appears as a Commander of the army taking his arrow from the chest on His back. The very majestic and heroic appearance of the Lord would make any coward a hero. When children hear the story of Lord Muruga defeating demon Sura from their parents, they shed fear and become optimistic in life, so is the faith of the people

There are idols of the heroes who accompanied Lord Muruga for the war against Surapanma. There are shrines for Nardana Ganapathi, Juradevar, Srinivasa Soundararaja Perumal, Anjaneya, Mother Manonmani, Ammai Appan, Mahalakshmi, Sani Baghwan (Saturn) and Bhairava.