Sathuragiri Hills – A Mystical and Spiritual Experience

Forty-five kilometers from Virudhunagar district in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, in an unassuming village called Thaaniparai, lies Sathuragiri or ‘Chathuragiri’ hills, believed to be the abode of the Gods and the 18 Siddhars or Shaivite (Shiva devotees) saints who possessed and practiced Siddhis (occult or yogic powers). Another name for it is ‘Siddhargal Bhoomi, or the land of the Siddhas.

They are called Siddhas because of their powers or Siddhis. Sathuragiri Hills is around 10 km from Watrap or Vathirairuppu, near Srivilliputhur. Thaaniparai is the base village, which is 7 km from the Sathuragiri Hills.

‘Chatur’ means ‘four’ (referring to the Chatur Veda or the 4 Vedas), and ‘Giri’ means ‘hill’. Shiva Puranam says that the 4 Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda) came together to form this mountain. Also, the hill has the shape of a Chathuram (Tamil word for ‘square’), hence the name.

People believe that the Siddhars still worship and do penance to Shiva from this hill. Some of the Siddhars who are believed to dwell on this hill are Agasthiyar, Gorakkar, Sattai Muni, Rama Devar, Sundaranandar, Pathanjali, Idaikadar, Sri Bogar, Nandi Devar, Sri Thirumoolar, Sri Konganavar, Valmiki, Kudumbai, Kamalamuni, Dhanwantari, Pambatti, Machamuni, and Karuvaroor. As the Siddhars worship Shiva here, the hill is also known as Shiva Malai or Shiva Hill.

The Sathuragiri trek is one of the most sacred pilgrimages and treks in Southern Tamilnadu. It is a trail on the Western Ghats that lies inside the Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary (UNESCO Western Ghats World Heritage Site). The Sathuragiri Hill trek is popular among devotees as well as adrenaline junkies. It offers adventurous trekking trails and sightings of rich flora and fauna. The terrain is rough and challenging, but the breathtaking and panoramic views of the Western Ghats are its rewards.

Many devotees undertake an arduous journey to this hill to worship Shiva at the Sundara Mahalingam and Santhana Mahalingam temples. These temples have been in existence for over 2,500 years.

The general public can visit the Sathuragiri Hills only on certain days, like the new moon (Amavasya), Full moon (Purnima), and two Pradosham days. Visiting hours are from 6 am to 4 pm There are 3 trekking paths. The first two paths lie along the Thaliparai side of Watrap, Virudhunagar district, while the third path is in the Vazhai Thoppu side of T. Krishnapuram in Madurai district.

The nearest railway station for the first two paths is the Srivilliputhur Railway Station, while Usilampatti Railway Station is the nearest railway station for the third trekking path. Buses are frequently available to Watrap and T. Krishnapuram.

History of Sathuragiri Hill

According to legends, Shiva, disguised as Sivanadiyar (a devotee of Shiva), arrived at this hill and met a priest who was taking care of a temple there. During their conversation, the priest informed the Sivanadiyar that the temple was very ancient and the land on which the temple stood was owned by a very wealthy landlord. On hearing this, the Sivanadiyar began to laugh loudly. Then he claimed that he was the real owner of the land. The priest felt apprehensive on hearing this. In order to prove his claim, the Sivanadiyar said that the priest could take the land that he needed. With some hesitation, the priest took a conch and said that the land upto which the sound of the conch be heard when it was blown would be the property of the temple. The Sivanadiyar agreed, and the priest blew the conch.

The sound waves travelled over a large expanse of land. Suddenly, the priest couldn’t find the Sivanadiyar. Then, to his amazement, Shiva appeared before him and granted him the land.

People believed that the hills were the abode of Sage Athiri and his wife, Anusuya Devi. There are many stories and legends about this hill that inspire wonder and awe.

Other Legends

At the foothills, one can find temples for Mahakali Amma, Vinayagar, Paechi Amman, Vana Durgai Amman, and Karuppaswamy. The idols of Paechi Amman and Pilavadi Karuppaswamy were supposedly installed by the Siddhars in Thaanipaarai. Pilavadi Karuppaswamy and Mahakali Amman are the guardians of the hills, while Vana Durgai Amman oversees the Sundara Mahalingam Temple. We can find 2 Shiva Lingams in 2 caves in Kora Kunda (Gorakkar Cave) on the way to the hill.

Siddhar Goraknathar is an integral part of the 18 Siddha traditions. He was very knowledgeable in the Nava Nath Siddha tradition and Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism. He was the one who created Kayakalpa and many other Siddha medicines. The belief is that he appears in the form of light on the 10th day of the Tamil calendar.

Another legend relates to the hoof marks found en route to the hill. Once, a devotee lost his way in the dense forests here. On seeing this, Shiva sent his favorite cow, Kamadhenu, to assist the devotee. Kamadhenu then appeared before him and showed him the right way to the temple. Then the divine cow flew off to its heavenly abode. But it left an imprint of its hooves on the soil. Visitors can see the imprint even now, and they worship them.

In another cave, there are two lingams - the Irattai Mahalingam. It is a Swayambhu Lingam, that grew out of the earth.

There is an interesting story around it. Once, there was a happy couple who had only one problem. The husband was a Shiva devotee, while the wife was a Vishnu devotee. They often fought about whose God was more powerful. When they asked scholars, their replies were in favor of either Shiva or Vishnu. Finally, they did penance to find the answer and arrived at Sathuragiri Hills. Shiva appeared before the husband, and the man told his wife that Shiva was mightier. The wife became upset and told Shiva that she wanted to see Vishnu Shiva then became Vishnu to show her that all Gods are one. While leaving, Shiva appeared as Shankara Narayana (both Shiva and Vishnu in one form) and then assumed the form of Irattai Swayambhu (Twin-Shiva and Hari).Lingam. The Linga was supposedly worshipped by Rama Devar Siddhar.

Renowned Siddhars like Agastyar and Sundaranandar worshipped the Sundara Murthy Swami Lingam (Anidai Lingam). The story goes that Shiva went around the Universe, seeking a priest to perform Poojas and other rituals in his temple. He kept saying, “Solvar Undu, Kaetpar illai” (which means 'there is someone to say but no one to listen'). At last, when he reached a village, he heard a tiny voice saying, “Kaetpar Undu, Solvar Illai” (which means 'there is a person to listen, but no one to say'). The words were uttered by a three- year old child. Shiva was very pleased. He took the child to the hills and anointed him as Sundara Murthy Swami. The boy was the official representative of Sundara Mahalingam (Shiva), and his job was to ensure that devotees’ prayers reach Shiva and are answered.

Some other temples and monuments on the way to the hill are Oonjal Karuppan Swamy, Korakkar Scripture Rock, Vellai Ganapathy, Nadu Kathu Ganapathy, Naga Kanni kavu, Lord Ganesha at Thavasi Cave and Periya Mahalingam.

A Mystical Place

Sathuragiri is an enchanting place which is associated with mystical and spiritual experiences. Many people have described their experiences on the hill. While some speak of encountering the Siddhars, others speak of dogs who appear from nowhere to guide people on the trek, and having strange visions and dreams, etc. People claim that it is a miraculous place where even one who is not a Sadhak can be blessed by the divine. It is said that we get a ‘call’ to visit Sathuragiri, which is not in our control and neither is our ability to do it successfully. Also, we should be "aware" and "open" to mystical experiences, whether it’s running into a Siddhar or some other unusual experience.