Kundrakudi
Kundrakudi is a village in Sivaganga district that houses a famous Murugan temple, Shanmughanathar Temple, atop a small hill near Karaikudi, India.
In Kundrakudi the Lord Murugan Temple is set up in a small hillock that is reached by a flight of 150 steps. This temple is also called as 'Mayil Malai', 'Mayurachalam'. The Murugan statue is set up with six faces and hence here Lord Murugan is called as "Lord Shanmuga". Here Lord Muruga appears with his consorts Valli and Deivanai. Statues of Lord Ganesh, Lord Shiva, Lord Kulandaivelappar, Lord Nataraja, Lord Bhairavar and Lords of Nine Planets are also set up around. Generally the Nine Planets Lord are set up facing various directions but here all planets are set up facing the Main statue of Lord Muruga. The hillock here is in the shape of a peacock, hence also the names, Mayil Malai and Mayurachalam.
At the bottom of the hill, there is a small temple for Lord Ganesh who is the brother of Lord Muruga, and another temple is also at the bottom of the hill itself for Lord Muruga in the name Lord Palani Murugan. In this Palani Murugan temple the main statue is not fixed on floor and set up in a bar. Because this statue is brought to Palani by the Kundrakudi Pada yatra group people every year at the time of Thaipoosam festival.
On the way uphill from the bass three more small temples are there, two temples for again Lord Ganesha and one for Lord Kadamba who is one of the devotees of Lord Muruga.
Kundrakudi is situated very near to Karaikudi, the heartland of Chettinadu. Many famous temples such as Pillayar patti Karpaga Vinayagar Temple, Bhairavar Kovil Bhairavar Swamy Temple, Nemam koil, Ariyakudi Thiruvenkatamudayan Temple, Thirupathur Thiruthalinathar Temple, Thirukostiyur Sowmyanarayar Temple are very near to Kundrakudi.
Kundrakudi Adigalar, a Tamil saint lived and attained Samadhi here. This mutt has a new successor now