Ranabali Murugan Temple Devipattinam

Ranabali Murugan Temple or Peruvyal Shiva Subramaniaswamy Temple is a Murugan temple located in Peruvyal near Devipattinam, Ramanathapuram District , Tamil Nadu.The temple is very famous for its a unique feature that Lord Murugan lies inside his weapon Vel.The idol of Lord Murugan is called the “Shatru Samhaaram Vel” of the Lord Rana Bali Murugan Temple.

Temple History

The temple was founded by Vairavan Servai, a commander under King Keelavan Sethupathi of Ramanathapuram. Vairavan Servai, a devotee of Lord Murugan, regularly visited the Thiruchendur Murugan Temple to worship.

One night, Murugan appeared in his dream and said, “You do not need to travel to Thiruchendur to worship me. In the sea at Devipattinam, east of the Navapashanam stones, there is a place called Kannamunai. Above it, you will see Garuda flying in circles, and below, a garland and lemon floating on the water. I am there underwater with my Vel, along with Valli and Deivanai. Bring me to your village, establish my idol, and worship me there.”

This same vision also appeared to the chief priest of the nearby Thiru Uthirakosamangai Temple, Adimangaleshwar Guru. The next day, Vairavan Servai and the priest met and, following Murugan’s instructions, sent people to search for the idol in the sea. After hours of searching, they couldn’t find it, and those who went into the water came back with serious injuries.

Finally, Vairavan Servai himself dived into the sea and retrieved the idol and the Vel. The king provided resources and land on the banks of the Peruvayal lake to help build the temple for Murugan. The temple construction moved quickly, and after the idols from the sea were enshrined, the consecration ceremony (Kumbabhishekam) was celebrated in a grand manner. Because of his deep devotion to Ramanatha Swamy and Parvatavardhini (Parvathi Devi) in Rameshwaram, Vairavan Servai also built shrines for them here.

Devotees can see this idol of the Lord Murugan in the Vel during the famous festival Sura Samhaaram.

In this temple, Murugan is shown with Rahu and Ketu, and devotees believe that worshipping him here removes Rahu-related doshas. Since many were injured trying to retrieve the idol from the sea, the main deity, Shiva Subramanya Swamy, is also known as “Ranabali Murugan”
(Murugan who heals the wounds). This name is fitting, as Murugan here is believed to relieve devotees from the “wounds” of debt, illness, and enemies, blessing them with prosperity.