Arulmigu Subramanya Swamy Temple at Kundrathur, about 18 km southwest of Chennai city in Kanchipuram district, is a hilltop Murugan temple distinguished by being the only Tamil temple where Murugan faces north. The sanctum is open daily from 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, administered by the Tamil Nadu HR&CE department. The temple is a 12th-century Chola foundation attributed to Kulothunga Chola II and is the birth village of Sekkizhar, the 12th-century Tamil author of the Periya Puranam, the hagiographic compendium of the 63 Nayanmars. This article covers timings, the daily pooja schedule, the temple’s Chola history and reaching Kundrathur from Chennai.
Daily timings
- Morning: 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Evening: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- Afternoon closure: 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
The temple is on a low hill; the climb is about 100 steps from the base, manageable for most pilgrims. Tuesdays and Krithikai days each Tamil month see larger weekday crowds. The afternoon closure between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM is enforced consistently.
The daily pooja schedule
- Suprabhatam: 6:30 AM (awakening of the deity)
- Deeparadhana (morning): 7:00 AM
- Uchikkalam: 12:30 PM (noon pooja, immediately before afternoon closure)
- Deeparadhana (evening): 6:00 PM
- Closing pooja: 8:00 PM
Special poojas are conducted on Mondays, Tuesdays, festival days and on the auspicious nakshatra days (Krithikai, Pournami, Sashti). Abhishekams, alankarams and vel poojas are the principal reserved sevas; booking is at the temple counter.
The only north-facing Murugan in Tamil Nadu
The temple’s distinguishing feature: Murugan is consecrated in the sanctum facing north. The puranic explanation is that Murugan, after the defeat of Surapadman, was travelling between Tiruttani and Thiruporur and rested at Kundrathur facing north toward Tiruttani. The standing Vel-Murugan murti is positioned accordingly. In conventional Tamil temple practice, Murugan’s principal sanctums face east or south; the Kundrathur orientation is unusual and is one of the principal reasons devotees include it on a Chennai-area Murugan circuit.
The temple’s six daily processions during festival weeks mirror the orientation; the morning vahana procession exits the sanctum and circumambulates the prakara in the standard way, returning to face north.
Sekkizhar and the Periya Puranam
Kundrathur is the birth village of Sekkizhar, the 12th-century author of the Periya Puranam, the Tamil hagiographical work that documents the lives of the 63 Nayanmars (Shaiva saint-poets). Sekkizhar composed the Periya Puranam during the reign of Kulothunga Chola II, and the work is the canonical source for the lives of the Nayanmars including Sundarar, Sambandar and Appar.
A small Sekkizhar shrine and memorial are maintained in Kundrathur. The poet’s connection to the Kundrathur Murugan temple is part of the village’s identity, and the temple’s Chola-period grants are documented in inscriptions on the temple walls.
Chola history and the temple’s age
The temple was constructed during the reign of Kulothunga Chola II in the 12th century. Inscriptions on the temple walls record grants in the standard Chola idiom of land endowments and ritual provisions. The principal structures, including the vimana over the sanctum, are Chola-period work; subsequent additions, including the entry mandapam and the renovation of the prakara, are from later Vijayanagara and Maratha-era patronage.
For what it’s worth, Kundrathur is one of the easier-to-reach but most overlooked Murugan temples in the Chennai region. The orientation (north-facing Murugan), the Sekkizhar association, and the 12th-century Chola foundation give it more historical depth than its modest tourist profile suggests. A weekday morning visit takes about 90 minutes including the climb.
Reaching Kundrathur
- From Chennai city centre: about 18 km southwest. 45 minutes by car in moderate traffic.
- From Tambaram: about 8 km. 15 minutes by car or bus.
- By bus: MTC route 17B and several others run to Kundrathur from Tambaram and Porur.
- By rail: Pallavaram is the nearest suburban station (about 9 km away).
- By air: Chennai International Airport is about 12 km east.
Major festivals
- Skanda Sashti (October–November): six-day observance culminating in Soorasamharam.
- Aadi Krithigai (July–August): the Krithikai day in the Tamil month of Aadi, the temple’s largest single-day surge.
- Thai Poosam (January–February): Murugan with the vel from Parvati.
- Vaikasi Visakam (May–June): Murugan’s birth star.
- Panguni Uthiram (March–April): the divine wedding observance.
- Karthigai Deepam (November–December): the Tamil month of Karthigai, with deepam offerings.
Common questions
Is there an entry fee?
General darshan is free, as at all HR&CE temples in Tamil Nadu. Reserved sevas (abhishekam, archana, vel pooja, special alankaram) are paid at the temple counter according to the published HR&CE schedule. The fee for the standard abhishekam is modest.
Why does Murugan face north here?
The puranic story holds that Murugan rested at Kundrathur on the way from Tiruttani to Thiruporur, facing north toward Tiruttani. The temple’s orientation is consistent with this puranic detail. The convention across other principal Murugan temples in Tamil country is east-facing or south-facing; Kundrathur is the principal exception.
Is the climb difficult?
The hill is low and the climb is about 100 steps. Most pilgrims, including older devotees, manage the climb comfortably with one or two rest stops. There is no vehicular road to the top. Carry water; the climb in the afternoon (after the 4:00 PM reopen) is more pleasant than in the late-morning heat.
One limitation worth noting
Seva fees and the precise festival timings are revised periodically by HR&CE. The figures and pooja sequence above reflect the temple’s currently published schedule. Festival dates shift on the Gregorian calendar each year because they follow the Tamil lunar calendar. For current information, the temple counter on the day of visit is the authoritative source.
For background, see Kundrathur Murugan Temple on Wikipedia and the Tamil Nadu HR&CE portal.
