Viralimalai

      Viralimalai is 30 km from Trichy and 40 km form Pudukkottai. According to the tradition, the temple owes its origin to Jnana Varodaya, who belonged to Vayalur,  10km west of Trichy.  He induced a Perambur chief, Azhagiya-manavaalan, to build it.  This was in the 15th century.  In later times, other chiefs expanded to temple.

      Arunagiri, the great saint who is believed to have lived in the middle of the 15th century, visited Viralimalai and sang in praise of the God here, expressing some of his mystic experiences.

      The deity presiding over this temple is offered by way of neyvedhya every evening at the day’s last puja, the most curious of objects a country cigar (suruttu kalanji).

      The ascent to the top of the hill is made by a series of flights commencing at an entrance close to the vahana mandapam.  To the north of the first landing, about half-way up, there is a natural cavern in which there is now a shrine containing a lingam, an Amman, Ganesa, etc. At the top is mandapam, from which one enters the main gopuram facing south.  More steps lead to the northern prakaram.  The idol of Sri Subrahmanya has six faces and twelve hands.  The God is seated on a peacock, with two Ammans, Valli and Devasena, standing on either side.  The Mandapams are of the Madurai style, and the one on the extreme east affords a panoramic view of the country round as far as the Triuchirappalli rock.  Some panels containing dancing figures in basrelif, evidently belonging to ruined early chola temple at Kodumalur, have been built into the walls of the northern prakaram.  The two lion pillars in the vahana mandapam at the foot of the hill are of the Pallava type and probably belonged to the Ainthali of Aivar – koil at Kodumbalur.

     Tradition holds that the deity of Viralimalai Murugan, appeared before a pilgrim at the temple-town of Vayalur and so overwhelmed him, as to bring him to Viralimalai, where he composed a set of sixteen songs of great metrical skil, included in the anthology known as the Thirupugazh. The author, who belonged to the 15th century and who had earlier led the life of a libertine, thence became famous as Arunagiri-nathar, the great saint and exponent of Saivasiddhantha.  Whatever be the truth the tradition, Arunagiri-nathar’s songs are one of the precious legacies of Tamil literature.