ARULMIGU NEELAKANDESWARAR TEMPLE COIMBATORE

Main God :

Arulmigu Neelakandeswarar

Dieties :

Swayamvara Parvathi Devi, Meenakshi Amman

Location : 

Sri Neelakandeswarar, Soundaryeswarar Temple, Irugur,

Ondiputhur, Coimbatore.

Festivals :

Aipasi Soora Samhara festival is an important event in the temple. Thai Poosam in January-February; Maha Shivrathri in February-March; Panguni Uthiram in April-May, Karthigai Jyoti in November-December and Arudra Darshan in December-January are the festivals celebrated in the temple.

Workship Timing : 

The temple is open during normal hours.

Temple : 

Lords Neelakandeswarar, Gnana Dandapani and Mother Swayamvara Parvathi are facing west.  Lords Soundareswarar and Muruga with His consorts Valli and Deivanai and Mother Meenakshi are facing east.  The temple was renovated by the three Tamil kings Chera, Chola and Pandyas.  According to history, this place was divided as Ponnur and Mannur during the Sangam age and became Irugur later after the name of Irula chieftain Iruvan. It was Iruvur earlier and changed as Irugur later.

Lord Neelakandeswarar was found 3000 years ago as a swayambulinga.  There is a small pit like symptom (Kuzhi)on the head, a small scratch on the right forehead and a tuft at the back of the head.  Mother Swayamvara Parvathi is at the left of the Lord while Lord Gnana Dandapani is on the right.  Lord Brahmma appears in a sitting form.

Lord Soundareswarar as a honey coloured Linga blesses the devotees.  Mother Meenakshi Amman with four hands blesses in a standing form.  Markandeswar Linga is in this temple only and nowhere in this Kongu region temples.  The nectar pot – Amirtha Kalasa – is on the peeta.  The 4 Nandhis in the temple are in different forms.

History :

According to history, Karikal Chozha renovated 360 big Shiva temples and 36 small temples in the Kongu region for relief from the Brahmmahati dosha he incurred.  Irugur Soundareswarar temple is believed to be the 28^th in the list.