Kallazhagar Temple (Sri Sundararaja Perumal Temple), in Alagar Kovil in Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Vishnu as Kallazhagar (Sundararaja Perumal), regarded in local tradition as the brother of Goddess Meenakshi of Madurai, with consort Lakshmi worshipped here as Sundaravalli (also recorded as Tirumamagal). It is also known as Azhagar Koyil; the deity is also called Sundarabahu Perumal or Sundararajar.
One of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham composed by the Alvar poet-saints. It is best known for the annual Chithirai festival procession, when the utsava idol of Kallazhagar travels toward Madurai to the banks of the Vaigai river, drawing very large crowds of devotees. Inscriptions found at the site are said to date back to the period of Emperor Ashoka.
Tamil Nadu carries a distinct temple identity of its own: Land of towering gopurams and living Dravidian temple traditions, from the Chola masterpieces to the great Pancha Bhoota Sthalas.
Darshan hours and daily worship
| Session | Timing (as published) |
|---|---|
| Morning | 6:00 AM to 12:30 PM |
| Evening | 3:30 PM to 8:00 PM |
Poojas and daily rituals
Reported daily schedule includes Vishwarupa puja around 6:00 AM, Pongal Kalam around 7:00 AM, Uchikalam around 12:00 PM (noon), Sayarakshai around 5:00 PM, Nithya Kalyanam/Santhanam around 6:30 PM, and Sampakalam around 8:00 PM.
Festivals and special-day timings
Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.
| Festival | Period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Chithirai Thiruvizha (Chithirai Festival) | Tamil month Chithirai, approximately April to May, around ten days | The temple's principal annual festival. The utsava idol of Kallazhagar is carried in procession toward Madurai and enters the Vaigai river, reenacting the legend of Vishnu arriving, too late, for the wedding of his sister Meenakshi. The event draws reportedly over a million devotees on its culminating night. |
History and architecture
Architecture
Traditional South Indian temple architecture on a roughly 2-acre site, with a five-tiered gopuram, a rectangular granite-walled enclosure, and rare Vijayanagara-period sculptures, including a depiction of Chakrathalvar with sixteen hands and sixteen weapons.
History
Inscriptions found at the site are said to date back to the period of Emperor Ashoka. The temple grew under Pandya patronage, with later support from the Vijayanagara empire under Krishnadeva Raya. The temple is closely tied by legend to Madurai's Meenakshi Temple: Vishnu is said to have set out to attend the wedding of his sister Meenakshi to Shiva, arrived late, and settled instead in the Alagar hills, a story reenacted each year in the Chithirai festival.
Planning your visit
How to reach
About 21 km northeast of Madurai city; accessible by bus or taxi from Madurai.
Where this information comes from
Confidence: Medium. The Sangam-to-Vijayanagara historical outline and the Chithirai festival legend are corroborated across multiple sources, but daily darshan timings, the daily puja schedule and the entry fee are drawn mainly from one travel site (trawell.in) and were not independently confirmed with the temple or HR&CE.