The six abodes › Abode 6
Padai Veedu 6 of 6
A forest shrine high in the Alagar hills, above the Vishnu temple of Alagar Kovil. Here Murugan, as a boy in a tree, tested the poet Avvaiyar.
The great poet Avvaiyar was resting under a naaval (jamun) tree when a cowherd boy in its branches asked her: "Do you want a hot fruit or a cold one?" Puzzled, she asked for a hot fruit, and he shook some down into the sand.
As Avvaiyar blew the sand off them, the boy laughed: "Are they so hot you have to cool them?" The wise poet saw that she had been taught humility, and that the boy was Murugan himself.
The name means "the grove of ripe fruits". The hill is still forested, and the naaval tree is the temple's sacred tree.
| Temple opens | 6:00 AM |
|---|---|
| Temple closes | 6:00 PM |
Last checked 15 Nov 2026 · Official HR&CE site
General darshan is always free. Paid tickets shorten the wait or let you attend a pooja.
| Ticket | Cost | What you get | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|
| General darshan | Free | Usually quick. The quietest of the six abodes. | Just walk in. |
| Golden chariot | Ask at counter | The golden chariot is pulled around the temple in the evening. | At the counter. |
| Annadhanam | Free | Free meals for devotees around 12 noon. | No booking. |
Prices change, and are higher on festival days. Last checked 15 Nov 2026.
Pilgrims bathe in or collect water from the spring further up the hill, believed to have healing power.
Free.
Hair offering at the temple.
Free at HR&CE temples. Take the official receipt.
Chanting of the Lord's names with your name and birth star.
Small fee at the counter.
Pilgrims usually pray at Alagar Kovil (Vishnu) on the way up, a meeting of Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions.
Free.
Easy for elderly visitors
A motorable road climbs 3.4 km from Alagar Kovil to the temple. From the parking area it is only about 10 steps to the shrine.
Stay in Madurai, about 20–25 km away. There is no real accommodation on the hill.
Free annadhanam at noon. Small stalls at Alagar Kovil; full meals in Madurai.
Coming soon: the places we stay and eat on our own visit.
Madurai Junction is about 20–25 km away, roughly an hour by bus or taxi.
Madurai airport, about an hour by car.
Town bus 44 from Madurai's Periyar bus stand to Alagar Kovil, then the temple shuttle up the hill.
| Kanda Sashti | Aippasi (Oct–Nov). |
|---|---|
| Panguni Uthiram | Panguni (Mar–Apr). |
| Vaikasi Visakam | Vaikasi (May–Jun). |
| Thaipoosam | Thai (Jan–Feb). |
Temple office: 0452 2470228