Sri Pandi Muneeswaran Temple

My pick up time for the airport had been arranged for 1130am on the Wednesday morning. I was ready to fall asleep on Tuesday night, the lights were all off and I was comfortably tucked into the blanket when I felt my phone vibrate ( I set my phone to vibration mode before I sleep every night). It was a good friend from Singapore and he wanted me very much to visit this temple before I left Madurai. He rearranged my pick up time to 1030am and so yesterday morning I visited this temple.

This is a local temple well known to the people of Madurai but no one else outside Madurai seems to know about this place. Even on the internet, there is only a brief reference to it. However the local people I spoke to all knew this place and said that it was a very special place. They believe that Pandi Muneeswaran is none other than the Pandian King, called Nedunchezhiyan, who ruled Madurai a long time ago during the time of Kanaki and Kovalan, all of whom are referenced in the epic Silapathikaram.

The temple was only a short distance from my hotel and so after checking out and en route to the airport I visited this place. It’s a small temple off the main street. You cannot see it from the main road. The place around the temple was vibrant. There is no paved road to the temple. On the way in there are many shops selling flowers, fruits and books. The entire area seems to be catered to the temple and the devotees coming there. Even on a Wednesday 11 am the place and the temple was bustling.

I left my shoes in the car. I walked on the unpaved pathway and I was received at the temple entrance. I was brought in to do a very special darshan and I was garlanded.

This clearly is a powerful deity.

Sometimes things happen for a reason. Clearly there was a reason I picked up the call on vibrate mode before I slept and rearranged my timing so I could come here.

I am glad I did.