cover photo with gopuram of Chitharal Malai Kovil
Chithral Malai Kovil ( historical site 
) is near Chitharal village in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India. This Kovil is said to have been built by Jainism. King Mahendra Varman 1 brought the influence of Jainism during the 9th century. This temple was dedicated to the worship of Lord Subramanya ( Murugan ) and is famous for its stunning architecture and sculptures. Now worship has changed to Bhagavathy. This temple is estimated to be over 1000 years old. Architecture has a Dravidian style because of the influence of the Chola era after the Jainism era. It is said that some rework has been done in the Chola dynasty era.
Visiting time : You can visit the kovil from 8 am to 4 pm.
How to reach:
By Air :
The nearest airport is International Trivandrum Airport and can reach there by Cab/bus.
By Train:
The nearest railway station is Kuzhithurai which is 9km from the temple.
By Road:
Temple is 64 km from Trivandrum and 42 km from Kanyakumari.
If you are coming from Trivandrum in a cab, you should visit this temple as it is on the way to Kanyakumari.
main temple of the kovil with pond in front of it.
As you can see, there’s a pond in front of the main temple which is used for Pooja. The water gets collected during the rainy season or gets pumped in during the summer season. The main temple door only opens during Pooja days.
kovil standing in top of the rock hill.
A great view can be seen from the top of the temple gopuram.
walking path and resting bench inside the Kovil compound.
A narrow pathway into the temple makes a great experience and feel of trekking. Resting benches and disposable bins are found on the way to the temple. I recommend not bringing any plastic as it destroys this historical site.
Parking areas 
for two and four-wheelers are provided with a parking fee of Rs 5 for two-wheelers and Rs 10 for four-wheelers. Toilets and bathrooms are allowed by the authorities.
I hope you like this post and one day, visit this place yourself.
@TravellerG @TusharSuradkar @AjitThite @Anil6969 @Gurukrishnapriya @GirishPidadi
