Pathirakali Mariamman Temple, Thirumangalam

Shri Pathirakali Mariamman Temple stands in Thirumangalam, about 20 km south of Madurai. Mariamman is the main deity, with Pathirakaliamman and Mariamman as the festival images. The town's name is explained by a tradition that the mangalyam, the wedding emblem, of the goddess Meenakshi was made here; another version ties it to Murugan's marriage to Theivanai at nearby Thiruparankundram.

The temple was built from 1852 by the Thirumangalam Pandiyakula Kshatriya Nadar Uravinmurai, at a time when Nadars were barred from temples built by higher-ranked castes and Nadar communities across the region were building their own. While laying foundations at the centre of the town, the builders are said to have found an image of the goddess along with other deities, and they raised a Dravidian-style temple there, holding its first consecration in 1857. Later additions brought shrines to Gopalakrishnar, Ahora Veerapathrar, Natarajar, the Saivite saints, Chandikesuwarar and the Navagrahas. The same body runs the PKN Vidhyasala trust, whose schools have operated since 1908.