Sundara Mahalingawami temple, Chaturagiri

    This temple is located on the hills, 53km from Madurai city, remains open from 6am to 11am & 4am to 8am.

Lord Shiva in the temple is a Swayambumurthy gracing in slanting position. As there are four hills here in a square shape in each of the four directions (16 hills in total), the place is called Chaturagiri. This connects Madurai, Saptur and Virudhunagar. Earlier, the temple was under private administration.  Now it is under the control of Hindu Religious and Endowment Charities. Devotees come to the temple from all parts of India for worshipping the Lord.  There are two ways to reach the temple from Saptur and Vathirayiruppu.  The temple is illuminated on Aadi new moon day with generator power.

The hill is home of all creatures as birds, snakes, trees, herbal plants etc.  Besides Sundara Mahalingaswami temples, there are also temples for Lord Sundaramurthy, Mother Anandavalli, Palavadi Karuppannaswami and Sandana Mahalingaswami.

Sundara Mahalingaswami is a Swayambu Linga.

One Pachaimal was grazing his cows in this area and was making a livelihood by selling the milk.  One of the cows did not yield any milk.  He found that the cow was pouring its milk at a particular place while returning home.

Pachaimal hit the cow with the cane he had on hand but the cow ran away.  In its place there was a Shiva devotee bleeding in the head. He immediately rushed and brought some herbals and treated the devotee.  The bleeding stopped but the scar stayed.  Lord Shiva in the guise of the devotee told the farmer that He was there and directed him to build a temple and worship him promising all benefits to them and disappeared.

Accordingly the residents of the place built this temple.  Later many Siddhas as Gorakkar Siddha stayed here and did wonders.  Such spots in the temple region are named after them.