Alagarkovil

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This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Alagarkovil

A temple in the Melur taluk of Madura District, Madras, situated in 10° 5' N. and 78 degree 14' E., about 12 miles north east of Madura city, at the foot of the south-eastern slope of the Alagar hills, sacred to the god Alagar. The building is very ancient and is held in special repute by the Kallans and other thieving communities, who are said to devote to the god a portion of their ill-gotten gains in expectation that they will thereby be successful in their criminal ex peditions.

The temple is surrounded by an extensive outer wall win once served as a fortification. At the festival on the new moon day of the month of Adi thousands of worshippers from the neighbouring Districts gather here. Several fine porches about it are now rapidly falling into ruins. Three miles away on the Alagar hills is a building containing a spring, the water of which is believed to possess power to cleanse from all sin.