- Deity
- Shiva as Edaganathar; Goddess Visalakshi
- Timings
- 6:30 am to 12 noon, 4:30 pm to 8 pm
- Distance from Madurai
- About 20 km
- Nearest railway station
- Sholavandan
- Nearest airport
- Madurai
The legend
In the seventh century the Pandya king of Madurai, remembered as Koon Pandyan, followed the Jain faith. When he fell gravely ill and the Jain teachers could not cure him, the young Sambandar healed him, and the king turned to Shiva. The Jains then challenged Sambandar to tests by fire and water. His palm-leaf hymns survived the flames, and the leaf thrown into the Vaigai floated against the current and came ashore at this spot, which is how the place is said to have got its name: edu means palm leaf.
What to see
The temple has two main towers and shrines to Edaganathar and to the goddess, known here as Visalakshi. Verses from the Tevaram are inscribed in the complex, and the setting by the river is peaceful, especially in the early morning.
Festivals
All the main Shiva festivals are observed. The most distinctive is the Ethireriya Utsavam in the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May–June), which re-enacts the leaf floating upstream. The Muthu Pandal festival and Maha Shivaratri also draw crowds.
Timings
Doors usually open at 6:30 am and close at noon, reopening at 4:30 in the afternoon until 8 in the evening. Timings may be extended on festival days. Dress modestly, and leave footwear at the stand outside the entrance.
How to reach
Buses leave from Madurai's Periyar bus stand and reach the temple in about an hour. Sholavandan has a railway station within easy reach of the temple, and Madurai airport is the nearest for flights. The temple makes a good half-day trip from Madurai, which we can arrange.
Also nearby
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