01Indra’s shrine by the river mouth
Mahendra is Indra, and the village keeps his name because he is said to have worshipped here. Sambandar’s padigam names Surya, Chandra and Brahma among the Lord’s worshippers too, and calls him Tirumeni Azhagar, the one whose form is beautiful. The temple stands on the south bank of the Kollidam about two kilometres from the sea, facing east behind a modest three-tiered gopuram, with the Mahendra Theertham beside it. On certain days of Panguni the rising sun lights the linga. Vadivambikai stands in a south-facing shrine; there is no separate Navagraha shrine, and Rahu and Ketu sit with Vinayaka. Arunagirinathar sang Murugan here as Singaravelan.
About 7 km beyond Achalpuram on the branch road from Kollidam (Chidambaram–Sirkazhi route); buses from Chidambaram and Sirkazhi.
