Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple

The first of the six Arupadaiveedu, sacred abodes of Lord Murugan, carved into a rock hill 8 km from Madurai and dating back over a thousand years. It commemorates Murugan's marriage to Deivayanai after his victory over the demon Surapadman, and is among the oldest rock-cut cave temples in Tamil Nadu.

A historic temple dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, the fish-eyed form of Parvati, and her consort Sundareswarar, famed for its towering gopurams covered in thousands of painted deities. Its Hall of a Thousand Pillars and nightly ritual carrying Sundareswarar's image to Meenakshi's shrine draw millions of pilgrims each year.

A Divya Desam Vishnu temple on the Alagar Hills, 21 km from Madurai, dedicated to Lord Kallazhagar. It is famous for the Chithirai festival, when the deity is carried down from the hills into the Vaigai river to 'meet' his sister Meenakshi ahead of her temple wedding in Madurai.

A Divya Desam Vishnu temple on the Alagar Hills, where Lord Sundararajaswami (Kallalagar — 'the beautiful rock god') is enshrined. Famous for the Chithirai festival when Lord Kallalagar is taken in a procession to the Vaigai river — a spectacle of 1 million devotees. The hillock has Murugan shrines too, creating a spiritually rich complex.