Spiritual PlaceHilltop Shiva temple

Dharmalinga Malai, Madukkarai

Hilltop Shiva temple south of Coimbatore, reached by about 800 steps, with full-moon walks round the hill

Photo: Kasiarunachalam (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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01 — The story

Dharmalinga Malai is a Shiva temple on a hilltop at Marappalam in Madukkarai, around 13 km south of Coimbatore city. The deity, Dharmalingeswaraswamy, is a swayambumurthi, a naturally formed image, and nearly 800 steps lead up to the shrine.

On full-moon nights devotees walk round the hill in girivalam, and on Chitra Pournami some 35,000 to 40,000 people take part. Free meals are served on full-moon and Pradosha days. Bhajans continue through the night of Maha Shivaratri, and Annabishekam is performed on the full moon of Aippasi and again at Thaipoosam. Buses run to Marappalam from Gandhipuram and Ukkadam, and Madukkarai is the nearest railway station.

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02 — About

Coming soon

We’re still writing about Dharmalinga Malai, Madukkarai: its history, what’s there and why it’s worth the trip.