By Y. Antony Selvaraj
Madurai: Alagar Hill, a scenic thick forest near Madurai, is turning into a ‘Little Kodaikanal’. Palamuthircholai, one of Murugan’s Arupada houses, is also located on this hill, so the number of tourists and devotees has increased during the weekends.
The historical city of Madurai is protected like a rampart by Tiruparangunram Hill, Anaimalai, Nagamalai and Pashumalai in all four directions. Although Madurai is a hilly city, the nearby hills like Kodaikanal and Ooty do not have popular tourist spots for people to visit and enjoy. In order to overcome that shortcoming, Alaghar Hill is now becoming a tourist destination with a mesmerizing scenic dense forest at a distance of 21 km from Madurai.
3 km from the foothills of this Alaghar Hill, by a mountain pass, is the Palamuthircholai Murugan Temple, the sixth abode of Lord Murugan. Another Arupada house is at Tiruparangundram. Madurai is unique in that it is the city where there are two houses of Lord Murugan in Tamil Nadu. The people of Madurai who spend their days in the hustle and bustle of life throughout the week, go to the nearby tourist spots and hilly areas to refresh their mind and body on their weekends.
Palamudhircholai Murugan Temple is located on Alaghar Hill as a tourist destination and spiritual destination for the people of Madurai. This Palamuthirsolai is one km away from Murugan Temple. In the distance, if you walk up the hilly steps that look like the Sabarimala steps, you will see the Rakkai Amman temple and the Nupuragangai fountain. Devotees and tourists visiting Palamudhircholai Murugan Temple do not come without bathing in this Nupuragangai spring.
Ordinary people who cannot go to Ooty, Kodaikanal and Sirumalai on weekdays, have now started visiting Palamuthir Solai Murugan Temple on the Alaghar hill very close to Madurai on weekends. Along with the Sami Darshan, you can also enjoy the scenic views that cool the eyes and the mind by passing through the mountain paths that pass through the dense forest. While passing through the roads, you can see a variety of animals including monkeys, birds and other animals.
Kodaikanal-like environment can be seen there on the hilly road. It is cool, and if you are hungry, you can sit and eat with your family on the mountain passes here and there. There are many herbal plants in this hill so the smell of herbs can penetrate our body and make us feel refreshed. Therefore, on weekends, many people go to the temple on two-wheelers and four-wheelers as a walking padayatra.
There are many buses going to Alagar temple from Madurai Periyar Bus Stand and Mattuthavani. Also, mini buses are plying from the foothills of Alagar Hill to Palamuthircholai. There is a charge of Rs 10 to go up the hill and Rs 10 to come back to the base. Therefore, more devotees and tourists are coming in buses now. More than one lakh devotees and tourists visit Palamuthirsol on special days. Thousands of devotees come on weekends and special days.
Risk of accident due to lack of barrier wall on the mountain pass: Although the road from the foothills of Alaghar to Palamuthirchola is good, the roads have deteriorated due to shifting of stones. No barricade has been erected at any place on Alagar Hill Path Road. Therefore, if the vehicle derails, it may roll into the ditch and cause death. Therefore, buses and cars come and go through the mountain pass in a dangerous condition. Travelers and tourists travel with fear on the Alaghar Temple mountain pass. As the number of pilgrims and tourists is increasing day by day, there is no adequate toilet and changing room in the hill area. Many electric lights on the mountain road are not lit. There are no vehicular reflectors to show 360 degree view of approaching vehicles on a ‘U’ bend on a mountain road.