What to expect
Highlights
- Pariyur Kondathu Kaliamman Temple — The Kondathu Kaliamman Temple at Pariyur is a widely revered shrine to the goddess Kaliamman, believed to be around 1,500 years old. It is known for its annual fire-walking ceremony held in January and a grand temple car festival that draws large crowds. Several shrines feature marble work, and the temple owns a golden chariot.
- Amarapaneeswarar Temple, Pariyur — The Amarapaneeswarar Temple at Pariyur is a Shiva temple dating to about the 10th century CE, with its consort worshipped as Soundaranayaki Amman. Originally built during the Chola period, it received later additions from the Pandya, Hoysala and Mysore rulers, and today is rebuilt almost entirely in white marble. Maha Shivaratri and Pradosham are celebrated here with particular grandeur.
- Kunderipallam Dam — Kunderipallam Dam is an earthen dam built across a tributary feeding the Bhavani River at Kongarpalayam in Gobichettipalayam taluk, constructed between 1975 and 1980. It stands about 42 feet high and over 2,100 metres long, with a reservoir capacity of roughly 1.72 tmcft used for irrigation. Set at the foot of forested hills, it is a quiet local picnic and scenic spot.
- Perumpallam Dam — Perumpallam Dam is an earthen dam near Sathyamangalam, built in the 1980s and measuring about 2 km long and 40 metres high. It is fed by rainwater from the Kadambur Hills and the Bhavani River, and its reservoir level swings dramatically between drought and heavy floods. It is a lesser-known reservoir on the fringe of the Sathyamangalam forests.
- Pavalamalai Muthukumaraswamy Temple — The Muthukumaraswamy Temple on Pavalamalai hill near Gobichettipalayam is the second of the town's two Murugan hill shrines, the other being Pachaimalai. It sits on a small hill on the road toward Pariyur and is dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is a popular local pilgrimage climb offering views over the surrounding countryside.
