Alagar Koil

The temple is fortress-like, with an inner Iranyan Kottai and an outer Alagapuri Kottai of the 14th century. The east sidewall is broken and entry is from the south. Within are a dilapidated mandapa with a Tirumalai Nāyaka statue, a car (ratha) mandapa, and beyond the inner fort wall and a vahana mandapa the Raja Gopuram. A north-wall entrance called Vandi Vasal serves devotees and processional deities. The sequence to the sanctum runs through the Yadhiraja Mutram courtyard with its marriage mandapa, the Thondaiman entrance, and the Sundara Pandyan, Aryan and Munaiyatharan mandapas.

The sanctum, named Nangal Kundram, is circular, under the Somasundara Vimana. The standing deity is Sri Paramaswami with Sridevi and Bhudevi, the chakra in his hand held in the ready-to-hurl prayoga position. The processional Sundararaja Perumal, called Alagar, is made of a gold called Aparanji. To the south is the shrine of Kalyana Sundaravalli Thayar, to the north the shrine of Andal. A Bairavar (Kshethra Balakar) holds the temple key after the ardhajama puja. The frescoes of the Vasantha mandapa show the Ramayana and Mahabharata; the Aryan mandapa and Raya gopuram carry fine sculpture, mostly of Vijayanagara and Nāyaka style.

An inscription of 1513 CE at the entrance corresponds to the period of Krishna Devaraya. The outer fort, Alagapuri Kottai, is dated to the 14th century, and the present processional car is held to have been built about 300 years ago. The temple is named Maalirunkundram in the Sangam Paripadal, dated by the book to the 3rd century BC, and Tirumal Nedunkundram in Silappathikaram of the 1st century CE; Andal calls it Tirumaliruncholai.

The Alwars Peria Alwar, Andal, Boothathalwar, Nammalwar and Tirumangaialwar, placed between the 6th and 9th centuries CE, have written 108 hymns in praise of Alagar.

Alagar is also called Kallalagar, said to be either because he has stolen the hearts of his devotees or because a sect called Kallars worships him. Of the sacred Nupura Ganga, 3 km uphill, it is told that when Viṣṇu as Trivikrama lifts his leg, Brahma offers puja to his foot, and the water passes through Viṣṇu's anklet (nupura) to fall on Tirumaliruncholai; it is used for the abhishekam of the idols.

It is told that to release the sage Suthapas from Durvasa's curse, Alagar goes to the Vaigai and there appears in all his ten avataras before returning, enacted now at Chithirai Pournami. The chief belief is that Alagar sets out to attend his sister Meenakshi's marriage in Madurai, is delayed, hears that it is over, and returns angry from Vandiyur without entering the city. Tirumalai Nāyaka is said to have begun this festival to bring the sub-sects of Hinduism together.