Sugavaneswarar Temple, Salem

Sugavaneswarar Temple is situated at cherry road, fort, Salem.

The temple is 500 years old and exhibits our country’s heritage at its best. Evidences of the rule of the great kings Cheran, Chozan, and Pandian can be witnessed here.

This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is in the name Sugavaneswarar along with his consort Goddess Parvathi in the name Maragathavalli or Sornambigai.

The other deity here is valamburi Vinayagar with two faces. The temple spread over two acres of land has Shiva, Parvathi and Vinayaga who are known as the “Mummoorthigal” and the place is quite popular among Shivites.

The Story goes like this. Lord Brahma was sharing a secret with few while Sage Shuka an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva eavesdropped and was cursed by Lord Brahma and he turned into a parrot. Brahma said, that he would be relieved of the curse when he worships Lord Shiva at Papanasam. One day Sage Sukha came along with other parrots to worship Shiva. An hunter seeing this wanted to drive away all the parrots. Hence, all the parrots hid in the nearby ant hill. Hunter started attacking the parrots while Sage Shuka spread his wings over the lingam to protect it. In this course he was killed and the Lingam also was damaged a little and got tilted to a side. Thus, Sage Shuka was relieved of his curse and he pleaded Shiva to stay there in the name of Sugavaneswarar (Parrot+eswar). Obliging the request, Shiva stayed there to bless his devotees.

The speciality of the temple is the tilted Lingam which cannot be seen anywhere else. People pray Shiva for good health, wealth, prosperity, effects of planets, bad omen of Lizard falling anywhere on the body etc.

The temple is open from 6.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. You must visit the temple when you are here at Salem to have a different experience as it is one of its kind.