Sri Dharmalingeshwara Temple is located on top of a hill in Marappalam village near Madukkarai near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is worshipped here as Dharmalingeshwara Swamy and the deity is a Swayambu Murthi (self-manifested). Lord Vinayaka and Lord Muruga are seen on both sides of the sanctum with Nandi just opposite to the presiding deity.
Dharmalingamalai is part of the Western Ghats. To reach the top of the temple, there are 800 steps.
The tribal people worship Lord Dharmalingeshwara Swamy as their family deity. Those who seek success and justice in court cases worship the Lord at Dharmaligeshwar Hill Temple. It is believed that Dharma, Pandava’s eldest brother, worshipped Lord Shiva here.
Pandavas visited this place during their exile and worshipped the Swayambu Shivalinga on the hill. During Dharmaraya’s worship at the Hill, Bheema was at the foothill as a security to his brother, according to the Sthalapurana. There is an idol of Bheema here worshipped as the custodian deity of the villagers.
Near the Navagraha (Nine Planets) shrine, there is a mango tree that produces fruits with three different tastes. The temple’s sacred tree is the Vilwa tree. Behind the Vinayaka shrine, there is a mandapam and an anthill, where an old serpent is said to live. Nearby, there is also a well that never dries up, even during severe droughts, and water from this well is piped up to the hill.
In the month of Karthika, villagers take turns lighting lamps on the hill for three days, with each family participating. Thousands of devotees walk around the hill on full moon days, similar to the Girivalam at Tiruvannamalai.
On Maha Shivaratri, bhajans are sung throughout the night in the temple. Special pujas and rituals are held on Pradosha, Kruthika, and new moon days. The Annabhishekam ritual is performed on the full moon day of Aipasi and on Thaipoosam.
