Thalamalai Sanjeevaraya Perumal Temple

Panoramic view of the Thalamalai Hills from the top

Thalamalai Sanjeevaraya Perumal Temple
Distance	Distance from Trichy:               via Jeeyapuram/Mukkombu, Musiri: 59 Kms               via Gunaseelam, Musiri : 64 Kms               via Thiruvellarai, Thuraiyur road, Tattayangarpettai: 71Kms Distance from Namakkal: 23Kms Distance from Salem: 68 Kms Distance from Bangalore: 225Kms
Time Needed	If you are going from Bangalore, you better plan to stay at Trichy and go on next day. If you are going from Trichy, you need minimum of 7 to 8 hours including driving
Places to see	Start from Neeliyampatti village and trek up. 1. Big Garuda at Entrance 2. Anjaneya Temple 3. Lakshmi narayana and Bhoomi devi temple 4. Karuppa samy temple on top 5. Ramar sunai or theertham 6. Anjaneya temple at top 7. Krishna Temple, just before the main Perumal temple on top 8. Sanjeeva raya Perumal and Alamelu mangai thayar and Venkachalapathy perumal
Local Guides	No
Speciality	2700 feet high, very famous temple in the region, lots of herbal and medicinal plants can be seen, you need to trek through 7 hills to reach the top, awesome view from top.
Stay options	Trichy or Namakkal
Food	Trichy or Namakkal
Best time to visit	Avoid April and May when it will be very hot, Septemmber to January is ideal
Nearby Places/Blogs	Visit the Trichy blog for all the details: http://myjourneysinindia.blogspot.in/2016/06/trichy-or-tiruchirappalli-and-nearby.html

With the huge crowd chanting Govindaa-Govindaa and Narayana, I and my 13 year old son worshiped the Lord Anjaneya at base and got strength to climb up to see Lord Sanjeevaraya Perumal on top. It was Purattaasi 2nd Saturday and there were close to 2500+ devotees by that time when we reached the Neeliyampatti village which is the starting point for us. There is a huge car parking area and there are also lots of buses plying both from Thuraiyur and Namakkal. There are two trek routes, one from Yerumaipatty and the other from Neeliyampatti. Neeliyampatti route is slightly longer I heard.

View of Lord Krishna and Lord Anjaneya Temples below, from top

Some details on Temple timings, best time to visit etc

Every year during this Tamil month of Purattaasi which comes sometime between the English calendar September Mid to October Mid, there will be a huge crowd of devotees coming to visit this temple from all over the district. Best time to visit this temple, may be from September to January when the whole surrounding is filled with herbal plants and small trees flourished after rains. But don't worry you can visit any time of the year, except March to June to avoid extreme hot weather.

View of the hills from base itself is so mesmerizing, I am sure with the devotees coming along, you will be so keen to start your trek up. The path is full of stones and gravels, many walk with their barefoot while few wear shoes and chappals. This is purely up to you and you can keep the footwear somewhere close to the top before entering the temple. It is close to 6 Kms distance from base to the top and takes around 3 to 3.5 hours. Few takes just 1.5 hours. Always start early in morning by around 6 or 6:30AM, so that you can avoid walking during scorching sun. The temple is open from morning 6:30 AM till late evening. But better you plan on Saturdays. 

View of the Main Topmost Temple and the vertical drop at the backside 

About the Trek route

Lord Anjaneya at base, entrance

You will be crossing 7 hills to reach the top. On the way up, you will find lots of vendors selling buttermilk and water bottles etc. Be careful with monkeys around. Keep your belongings inside a shoulder bag. There are lots of trees and you get shade to take rest. Almost on the top, you will find a temple tank or a water body where you will find chill water with the fragrance of turmeric. I am sure when you reach here, your legs would have started to shake / tremble a bit. But don't worry, just take a mug of water and pour on your legs and on your face to rejuvenate yourself with energy and strength. Many take bath as well here, you will find mugs to take water from the small tank. You will also find a Karuppa samy temple here.

View of the Hills behind, at base, starting point

Once you reach the Karuppa samy temple, it is just few hundred meters of walk to the top most Sanjeevaraya Perumal temple. You could see the vertical drop from the back of the main temple on top. It is always suggested to visit this temple on any Saturday when the temple on top is open, other days you might find the temple closed and priest may not be present. 

Once you reach the top most temple, you get a nice cold breeze and you are at 2700+ feet or 820 meters high. For your own safety and security, please avoid climbing on top of the temple or walking on the edges of the compound wall, it is very dangerous and already many lost lives. People lost their lives doing Girivalam on the compound wall, Please avoid it. 

Temple History

It was believed that this is built during the period of Nayakkars. During those days, there was a shepherd who used to take the cows for grazing. While all other cows are came back with him, one cow alone went astray to the top of the hill and giving milk to a boy there. Shepherd was kept searching and found this and informed the Nayakkar. That night Lord appeared before Nayakkar in his sleep and asked him to build a temple on top and perform regular pooja. From then, the hereditary Nayakkars were the treasurers of the temple.

It is so amazing to see, how did they carry so much of stones, bricks, cement and other materials to the top to build such a wonderful and beautiful temple. With the divine powers, those days devotees did wonders by building this temple at this height. Another thing, at the backside of the temple compound wall is a 2700 feet vertical drop. Don't know how they managed to build at this place. 

Medicinal and Herbal Plants

Looks like the medicinal herb Sanjivi is found elsewhere here apart from other medicinal and herbal plants. After the rains during December will be the ideal time to see varieties of plants grown up.  

The Temple's Official website : http://thalaimalai.com/history.html

Distance Chart and details

• Distance from Trichy:

      via Jeeyapuram/Mukkombu, Musiri: 59 Kms (Lots of Sand lorries and crowded/traffic)
      via Gunaseelam, Musiri : 64 Kms (Sand lorries and traffic, narrow road)
      via Thiruvellarai, Thuraiyur road, Tattayangarpettai: 71Kms (Less traffic and good road)

• Distance from Namakkal: 23Kms
• Distance from Salem: 68 Kms
• Distance from Bangalore: 225Kms

Location at Google Maps

Click this link to open the maps

Important places you need to visit

1. Big Garuda at Entrance
2. Anjaneya Temple
3. Lakshmi narayana and Bhoomi devi temple
4. Karuppa samy temple on top
5. Ramar sunai or theertham
6. Anjaneya temple at top
7. Krishna Temple, just before the main Perumal temple on top
8. Sanjeeva raya Perumal and Alamelu mangai thayar

Historical narration from Epic

In Ramayana, Lord Rama decided to stay at this place after rescuing Sita from Ravana. He has created a spring where water always flows and never dries up. When a person goes close this spring, he can get the fragrance of turmeric. Also there is a saying that Lord Anjaneya threw the Sanjeevi hill back at the place from where he has taken it and top portion fallen apart here and became Thalamalai.

Video of Thalamalai and the Trekking

Moving onto photos

Garuda at the base, behind you could see the hills

Lord Anjaneya Temple at base built during the year 2003

View of the hills and plants, far you can see the trek route 

Looking back, View of the hills

Far on top, you can see the Temple. 

Yes, this is the Main Temple on top and look at the huge crowd and the queue

Ramar Sunai - Never dries up 

View from Ramar Sunai (Water tank)

Do you see the Cauvery river at far end?

Yes, you have reached the top and this is the temple

View from the top, far below in middle you can see the car parking area

Doing Girivalam on this compound wall is not advisable,  God knows when to take you back with him, don't be in hurry. 

Rice, Peanuts, and other Grains were offered  

Karuppasamy Temple

Another view of the Temple from midway

Stones and gravels, yet with divine power, you will not feel pain, but will enjoy

View of Thalamalai hills from far distance, this is taken from Pavithram village

Other famous hill temple nearby

1. Thiru Eengoi malai (Visit Trichy blog to read more details)

1. Naina Malai Varadharaja Perumal Temple 

1. Perumal Malai (Near Thuraiyur)
2. Anjaneya Malai (Near Trichy)

Thank you. Add your comments below and share with your friends to spread the word about this beautiful place.