About Thiruparangundram :
Madurai has rightly earned for itself the epithet of being the temple town of Tamil Nadu. Other than the outstanding Meenakshi temple there are several other temples in and around Madurai that are well worth a visit. One of them is the  Thiruparangundram Temple, Madurai . Located at a distance of about 8 km to the south of Madurai, the Thiruparangundram Temple is a rock cut temple that is dedicated to Lord Subramanya.The Thiruparangundram Temple, Madurai dates back to the sixth century. It is considered to be one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya or Murugan. These six abodes of the Lord are popularly referred to as Arupadai Veedu. According to legend, the Lord married Deivyani, the daughter of Lord Indra at this place. This is also the site where he worshipped his parents Lord Parangirinathar and Avudainayaki.The antiquity of Thiruparangundram Temple can very well be gauged from the fact that it finds mention even in the Sangam Literature. The Sangam poet Nakkiran has referred to this temple in his songs. Actually the oldest shrine of the Thiruparangundram Temple is the cave temple that is positioned at a height of 1050 feet. The current structure of the Thiruparangundram Temple was constructed in the 8th century A.D. during the reign of the Pandya kings. The saint poets Sundarar and Sambandar and Arunagirinathar have also bestowed a lot of praise on this temple.