Athiri Malai (or Athiri Hills) is in Pothigai mountain range in the Western Ghats near the village of Alwarkurichi, in Thirunelveli district. These hills are named after Athiri Maharishi as he and his wife Anusuya Devi lived here. The trek starts from the Kadana dam and ends at a temple for Athiri Maharishi and Anusuya Devi. It is believed that the mere brush of the breeze from these hills cures one of a variety of common ailments. Athri hills are tucked in the north eastern part of Kalakad Mundathurai Tiger Reserve. The hills are clad in evergreen forests right from the base to its higher reaches. This contrasts with the southern parts where low elevation starts with thorny scrubby jungles.

The gap in the Athri hill range allows more moisture from the western side to enter the region all year around which has resulted in dry evergreen forest even in the lower elevation. The dry evergreen forest is considered to be rich in medicinal plants, which has brought here many `siddhars’ (siddha medicine practitioners) in search of plants for their practice. The access to these hills is still through a bridle path which crosses the Kallar river and the lack of a good motorable road so far has kept it away from the glare of tourists.

Athiri Maharishi Temple

It was around 2500 years ago, that the great sage Athiri travelled to the region of the Athiri hills with his wife Anusya Devi and his disciples. He then performed a penance for Lord Shiva. Heart-warmed by the unwavering devotion of his disciple, Lord Shiva appeared as a vision before the sage. Hence the mountain range came to be known as Athiri hills after the great sage. The idol of Lord Shiva in the form of Athiri Maharishi was formed and a small temple was constructed at the place.

The Athiri Maharishi temple lies in the middle of a dense forest and it doesn’t have any of the features that can be seen in a regular temple. It looks like a “Kudil” or a modest cottage of sages that has been transformed into a temple. The hills are lush with evergreen trees and rare medicinal plants and herbs. It is believed that these hills served as the abode of several great sages like Agasthiyar, Athiri Maharishi, Korakkar, Theraiyar, Sage Bodhi Dharmar and other sithars. The places where the sages and sithars made herbal concoctions stand untouched by time even today.

The Athiri hills are the holy land where Sage Athiri and his disciples meditated. These hills are also the place where a Sithar named Korakkar, one of the disciples of Athiri Maharishi, offered his penance to the Divine Being. The region is so lush and fertile that streams and rivers that originate in these hills have never turned dry all through the years. As soon as the cool breeze from these mountains touches us, we feel rejuvenated and refreshed. This region is home to mystical and divine herbs.

The temple is located at a height of 1500 ft. height in the Athri hills. It is also believed that Sage Athri created the “Ganga River” for his ardent disciple Korakkanathar in the form of a spring in these hills. Even today, we see this perennial spring which bears water all through the year. At the centre of the spring stands a Ganga Devi idol, which was installed by the Athri followers in his memory. Although the installation is estimated to be about 1,200 years old, other deities have been added over time. The villagers now call it a Murugan temple and the legend of Athri seems to be slowly fading away.

Also, another deity, Karupusamy whose idol is about five km away from the site is hardly remembered. In 2004, the quaint place close to the spring was replaced by a concrete structure and also got consecrated with a popular festival. “Thai Amavasai” (The new moon day in the Tamil month of Thai) is considered as the most auspicious day to worship the deities of this temple: Sage Athiri, Anusuya Devi, Ganga Devi, Korakkanathar Siddhar and Vana Durga.

It is believed that the tree under which Korakkar, the disciple of Athiri Maharishi meditated stands at a distance of 10-20 feet away from the hill even today. When one meditates under this tree, one is instantly transported to a divine haven of peace and tranquillity. Usually people visit this temple on weekends, full moon and new moon day. During weekdays, very few people visit the temple and they generally start the trek at around 9:30 AM. Since the trek is in a forest, forest officials maintain a record of all the persons visiting the temple. Forest officials allow people to enter the forest only between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

Unexplained Mysteries of the Athiri hills

Rosewater Showers

Every year during the Tamil month of Chithirai (middle of April – middle of May), a strange unexplained natural phenomena is observed here. During the hot summer months, there are showers of fragrant rosewater from the two Amirthavarthini trees in front of the Athiri Maharishi temple. It is believed by religious scholars that 35 Sithars reside in the forests of the Athiri hills in various forms and it is these Sithars who are responsible for the soothing rosewater showers. It is believed that the Sithars worship Lord Shiva by raining rosewater on his temple.

Research by the officials of the forest department, says that the reason for these showers are the tiny insects found on this tree. The insects suck rosewater from the barks of the trees and shower it as rain. No one has ever found out the reason for this mysterious phenomenon to occur only on the same few days every year (The last five days of the Tamil month Panguni and the first five days of the Tamil month Chitirai). It also occurs only on two specific trees located to the east and west of the temple. It is truly baffling to try to explain how these tiny insects are able to shower huge amounts of rosewater.

The Miraculous Purity of the Waters of Athiri Ganga

The holy water from the stream Athiri Ganga never becomes stale when it is taken back home and left in one’s pooja room even for years. However, it has been noticed that if one touches the holy water with an impure hand, it at once turns stale and begins to breed maggots.

Source:

https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/03/athri-hills-alwarkurichi-thirunelveli.html

https://www.tirunelveli.today/temples-in-tirunelveli/mysterious-athiri-hills/