Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Mavoothu Vellappar Temple, Theni

Mavoothu Vellappar Temple, Theni
Mavoothu Vellappar Temple is a Hindu temple located in the town of Mavoothu in the Theni District of Tamil NaduIndia. The temple was constructed by the Kandamanur Zamindar. The spring within the temple is believed to have curative powers.
Vellappar Temple is located in the district of Batlagundu, in Theni District of Tamil Nadu. Vellappar Temple was constructed by the Kandamanur zamindar.  The main deities here include Lord Vinayaka and Saptannikas. The statues of the deities were founded by Paliyars (the local tribes of this area). This temple is located in a beautiful location which is the Varushanad Hill. It is locked with hills from all the ends and is on top of one. Nesting among the hills and surrounded by natural vegetation, it is truly a dream destination for a nature lover.



There is a spring near the temple which is known for curing diseases, if tourists take bath and eat food cooked in this water. The Adi Amavasya and Thai Amavasya are the major occasions celebrated here. An annual festival, Chithirai, is also celebrated on a grand scale in the temple.
This holy shrine is situated in the Varushanad hill ranges, 20km from Andipatti. The temple is on top of the hill. Transport is available up to the foothills only.
History
The main Vigraha of this temple was discovered by the local tribes called “Paliyars” and the temple was constructed by the Kandamanur Zamindar. The temple has shrines of Lord Vinayaka and Saptakannikas. There is a mango tree, where rainwater gathers and flows downhill. It is believed that a ritual bath in the spring and eating food cooked in the water will cure the incurable of diseases. This has given the place the name “mavoothu” which in Tamil stands for “spring of the mango grove”.
Greatness of the temple
The temple is situated in a pleasant natural environment.  It is the staunch faith of the devotees that prayer to Lord Velappar would bring them health and all happiness in life. According to some historical facts there is an underground link with some places with a big float (Theppam) in Theppampatti.  It is also believed that there are many siddhas and sages performing penance in the surrounding hill caves.  Presiding deity Lord Mavootru Velappar, Vinayaka and Saptha Matha shrines are in the hill. Sakthi, Karuppanna Swami shrines are at the foot hill.




General Information
The region was dense with Marudha and Mango trees.  There is perennial spring pumping water from the ground under a mango tree south of the temple called Mavootru and the presiding deity Mavootru Velappar-Lord Muruga.  This part of the place is also named Mavootru.  Lord Vinayaka also is praised as Mavootru Vinayaka. Devotees offer sweet pudding – Sarkarai Pongal.
Legend
The main vigraha (idol) of this temple was discovered by the local tribes called "Paliyars" while the temple was constructed by the then Kandamanur Zamindar. The temple has shrines of Vinayaka and Saptakannikas.

Curative Powers 
It is believed that a ritual bath in the spring and eating food cooked in the water will cure the incurable of diseases. 
Pooja Timings 
7.30 am to 8.30 am in the morning and 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm in the evening. 
Festivals
Adi Amavasya (Blue Moon) and Thai Amavasya are celebrated with gaiety. There is also an annual festival in the month of Chithirai
Contact
Mavoothu Vellappar Temple,
Varusanadu hills, Mavoothu road,
Tamil Nadu, Pin Code: 625705.
Connectivity
Theppampatti is 32 km far from Theni, 18 km from Andipatti, 98 km from Madurai. Bus facility is available only twice a day, morning and evening from Andipatti. Special buses are operated on monthly new moon days and festival days. 
By Bus:  Bus facility is available only twice a day, morning and evening from Andipatti which is 18km away from Mavoothu temple. Special buses are operated on monthly new moon days and festival days from here.
By Train: Nearest railway station to Mavoothu Vellappar temple is Vinayagar Temple Railway Station, Thirumangalam which is 49km away.

By Flight: Nearest airport is Madurai Airport which is 70km away from Mavoothu temple. 

Rajendra Chozheeswarar (Balasubramaniar Temple), Periyakulam, Theni

Rajendra Chozheeswarar (Balasubramaniar Temple), Periyakulam, Theni
Rajendra Chozheeswarar is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Periyakulam Town in Theni District of Tamil Nadu. Presiding Deity is called as Rajendra Chozheeswarar and Mother is called as Aram Valartha Nayaki. Though Lord Shiva is the presiding deity in the temple, it is more popularly known as Balasubramaniar temple. The Temple is situated on the banks of the Varaha River in Periyakulam. This Temple is believed to be 1000 years old. It is one of the major places of pilgrimage and a prominent attraction for those who are visiting the district of Theni. Saint Arunagirinathar had sung Thirupugazh Hymns on Lord Murugan of this Temple.



Legends
Lord Murugan gave salvation to Pig:
During the 10th century, Chola Emperor Rajendra Chozhan who ruled this area, came to the Agamalai forest which is situated western side of the Varaga Nadhi. He was on hunting expedition, at the time of hunting, he hunted a wild pig which was feeding milk to its kids. The wild pig was killed. The piglets of the dead wild pig cried for milk. At that time because of the mercy of Lord Muruga, the piglets got milk from the dead wild pig. The King saw that and built a temple for Lord Balamurugan and create a city near to the temple named Kulandhai Managaram. Because of the mercy of Lord Muruga, the dead wild pig had got place in heaven. The sculpture of these story can be viewed in the Temple.
Equivalent to Kasi:
This temple is considered equal to Kasi. Since Brahma Theertha runs in this river it is believed that any incurable disease is cured when we have a bath in this river water. 
Etymology:
The name of this town derived from two Tamil words equivalent to Big lake (in Tamil Periya means Big Kulam means Pond). In Tamil literature, the name of this town comes as Kulandhai Managaram.
The Temple
As the temple was built by Rajendra Chozha, in popular terms, this is called as Big Temple. This Temple is having 5 tiered Rajagopuram. Presiding Deity is called as Rajendra Chozheeswarar and Mother is called as Aram Valartha Nayaki. Lord Rajendra Chozheeswarar and Mother Aram Valartha Nayaki bless the devotees from their respective shrines with separate flag posts-Kodimaram each. Though Lord Shiva is the presiding deity in the temple, it is more popularly known as Balasubramaniar temple.



Lord Muruga graces the devotees with his six merciful faces accompanied by his consorts Valli and Deivanai. The signs of the 27 stars and the 12 zodiac signs are shown on the roof of the Peacock Mandapam opposite Lord Muruga shrine. Lord Shiva, Mother Ambica and Lord Muruga grace the devotees from this single temple. This temple has three Kodimarams facing each shrine respectively.



Nataraja, Ekambareswarar, Jambukeswarar, Dakshinamurthy, Durga, Kanni Moola Ganapathy, Juradevar, 63 Nayanmars, Bhairava and Vishnu, Sun and Moon with their consorts, Saptha Kannikas, planets Rahu and Ketu grace the devotees from separate shrines in the prakara. Speaking volumes of the skill of Chola temple architecture, the pillars have the sculptures of Agora Veerabhadra, Rudra Thandava Murthi, Manmatha and Mother Durga. There is a statue for Lord Ruthra Thandava Moorthy in this temple.



Next to Thirukadavur temple, a statue for Lord Mrithugnar is also in this temple. As the shrine of Lord Mrutyunjaya also is in the temple, many celebrate their 60th and 80th birthdays here. Nearer to this temple, a small temple for Azhagu Natchiamman with a beautiful garden is situated. The temple is on the banks of River Varaha considered as sacred as the holy Ganga. There are two Marudha trees-one male and the other female on the river bank. It is also called Brahmma Theertham.


Temple Opening Time
The temple remains open from 6.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m. and from 4.30 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Festivals
Chithirai Thiruvizha in April-May; Vaikasi Visakam in May-June; Aadi Pooram in July- August; Thai Poosam in January-February; Aipasi Skanda Sashti in October-November; Tirukarthikai in November-December and Panguni Brahmmotsavam are the festivals celebrated in the temple.
Prayers
For any health problem, people bathe in the sacred spring and pray to Lord Muruga for relief. Devotees perform abishek and pujas to Lord offering vastras.
Contact
Rajendra Chozheeswarar (Balasubramaniar Temple),
Periyakulam – 625 601
Phone: +91 94885 53077
Connectivity
The Temple is located at about 250 meters from Periyakulam Government Hospital Bus Stop, 2 Kms from Periyakulam Bus Stand, 14 Kms from Vaigai Dam, 17 Kms from Theni Railway Station, 27 Kms from Vathalagundu, 72 Kms from Kodaikanal, 82 Kms from Madurai and 93 Kms from Madurai Airport. The Temple is situated in the Periyakulam – Sothuparai Road. Bus facilities are conveniently available. 

Location

Chinnamanur

Chinnamanur
Chinnamanur is a town and a municipality in Theni district in the state of Tamil NaduIndia. As of 2011, the town had a population of 42,305. The town is one of the major trade center in the district and supports basic needs for more than 1, 00,000 population in and around the town.


Geography
Chinnamanur is located at 9°50′N 77°23′E. It has an average elevation of 375 metres (1,230 ft). Chinnamanur town is at a height of 374 m above sea level. This town was initially called Harikesarinallur and is known for the Sivagamiamman Temple that is situated on the banks of Mullai River. The town is also mentioned in the Tamil grammatical work, Tholkappium.


Demographics
According to 2011 census, Chinnamanur had a population of 42,305 with a sex-ratio of 1,007 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 4,015 were under the age of six, constituting 2,120 males and 1,895 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 17.08% and .03% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 75.61%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had a total of 11545 households.
There were a total of 16,827 workers, comprising 430 cultivators, 3,840 main agricultural labourers, 405 in house hold industries, 10,845 other workers, 1,307 marginal workers, 41 marginal cultivators, 369 marginal agricultural labourers, 87 marginal workers in household industries and 810 other marginal workers.
History
Copper inscriptions, which are all taken from Chinnamanur in the British period, are available in London museum. Chinnamanur, stands back to a very historic period when the king of Madurai, Thiru. Rajasimar came to this land. It is a tradition in India where Lord Shiva is worshipped by presenting cow's milk on the Shiva lingam and performing the rituals. King Rajasimeshwaran being no exception had been performing the same kind of rituals. Once when a milkman was bringing milk to the king’s place, he was hindered by a root in the ground, which was irregular in shape, almost like a rock.



The man fell down spilling all the milk on the root. He continued bringing milk the next day and the same incident took place. This continued for some days together. The man planned to chop down the root and ran an axe over it. The moment he stuck it he found the root bleeding. Immediately after that he was stupefied seeing a long, swift and a luminous light with great intensity from the sky to the land in the same place of the root. The milkman ran to the king and told about the incident which took place in the midway.
The king, a very pure devotee of Lord Shiva, became exuberant and realized that it is some play of the almighty and rushed to the place. The king was astonished seeing the vibrant energy of the lord standing from sky to land and raised his hands above his head, pleading in the Namaste posture told, "Siva perumane". "Oh lord, you are so energetic, vibrant, luminous and I am flabbergasted looking at you. All my power and potentials are underneath your foot. Eshwara, how can I worship this marvelous, spectacular appearance of yours. Kindly come down to the level of common people as we always seek your eternal bliss". By these humble words of the king, Lord Shiva comes down to the same height of King Rajasimeshwaran in the form of lingam, as worshiped everywhere.


The king becomes so glad that the Lord himself has accepted his worship and hugs the lingam tightly. As soon as he hugs the lingam, the love and warmth melts the lingam and the ornaments worn by the king gets embossed on it. These embossed ornaments are seen even today. A temple was then constructed by the king with the lingam as the deity in the middle, named as 'Thiru Poolanandeshwarar Sivakami Amman temple', Sivakami wife of lord Shiva who is commonly known as Parvati.
Even today, in the temple, the lingam is traditionally worshiped with deeba aradanai (tradition of showing lighted lamp to the idol). The aradhanai shows the reflections of the embossed ornaments of king Rajasimeshwaran on the lingam. The deity has various other names like, 'Palkonda naadar' meaning, the lord who asked for milk; 'Alavodu alavanavar' meaning, the lord who came down for the humble request of a true devotee; ' Tazhuva Kudaindavar' meaning, the lord who was compassionate to the hug of an honest king and a true devotee.
The deity is also named after the king as Rajasimeshwarar. This article is published to make many devotees to seek the bliss of Lord Shiva and also for tourists and travelers around the world. There are so many other evidences of Shiva in India, among which Chinnamanur is a very little example.
Culture
Chithirai festival and Vinayagar Chathurthi are widely celebrated in the town. Car festival is also organized in the month of April/May every year. Vinayagar Chathurthi is celebrated for three days with the third being special, involving rally with 108 Vinayagar statues throughout the town and ends up at the Mullai river bridge in the west end of the town.
There are three big mosques in the town and the main is Mohammad Nainarsha mosque (paeriya pallivasal), cinna masjid (cinna pallivasal), and the samikulam pallivasal. Muslims are living there peacefully. Before 30 years it seems not many of them were educated and enrolled in the social activities like politics and doing a halal business(as per the norms of the Islamic rule example Muslims normally won't do finance business, since it is Haram and not halal). But at present, there are enormous amount of people of this particular community becomes educated. Almost they are engineers and working in India and in abroad.
People of this particular community are Rowthers and they obviously follow the Hanafi Islamic school of jurisprudence. This Particular community people were living throughout Chinnamanur particularly in k.k.kulam south Muslim street, and the people living in vadakku thaeru.and in saamikulam. According to mythology, this town has been in existence since the King of Madurai, Rajasimeshwaran, arrived here.
It is believed that the temple was constructed at a site where the milkman of the king found a root. The king was informed about the place and he built a temple and named it as Thiru Poolanandeshwarar Sivakami Amman Temple. A Shiva Lingam is enshrined in this temple. Chinnamanur is also famous for churches like the Roman Catholic Church, Bethel Church India and Tamil Nadu Pentecostal Mission.
Schools
There are four higher secondary schools including two governments aided (K.V.A. Girls Hr. Sec. School and S.K.A. Boys higher secondary school) and two private running matriculation schools (G.M.H.S.S. and S.M.H.S.S). There are also many high schools providing education for students till 10 standards in Tamil as well as English mediums. There is one Arts and Science College in the Eastern outskirts of the town. The V.O.C. ITI for technical education is also functioning with Students from the surrounding areas.
Hospitals

Govt. Hospital is located in Ponnagar Road with operation theater facilities. Apart from that there are many private nursing homes and hospitals in the town.

Cumbum Valley

Cumbum Valley
Cumbum Valley, also called Kambam Valley, is a valley in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu state in India near the Kerala state border. This is the most fertile valley in south India; the valley includes lands between Thekkadi Hills, Varusanadu Hills, and Kodaikanal Hills.
It is one of the few places in Tamil Nadu producing grapes. Cumbum valley produces about 90,000 tones of Muscat grapes and 10,000 tones of Thomson seedless grapes every year.



Cumbum or Kambam, is a town and municipality in Theni district in the western part of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Cumbum town is located in the Theni District of Tamil Nadu, near Kerala State, geographically located between 9°30′N and 10°11′N, and between 77°E and 77°30′E. It is the third largest town in Theni district after Theni and Bodinayakanur. It is the hometown of great poet Girivasan rajarathinam who settled in Ireland and busy in politics even though he is a physiotherapist by profession. The soil in this region is mostly red soil in nature. Agriculture plays on vital role for its developmental activities. Crops like Paddy, Coconut, Groundnut and various kinds of fruits and vegetables are being cultivated in this area.



It has many worship places, out of them Sri. Kambaraya Perumal Kovil, Sri. Gowmariyamman Kovil, Sri. Nandha Gopal Samy Kovil, Mosques, three churches are situated for a prolong period. The town is well connected by the district roads with nearby urban and Rural Town and villages but not connected by Railways.
The Climate of Cumbum town is generally good, since it is situated at the foot of Western Ghats. Average maximum temperatures are 41.6 °C and 31.6 °C respectively. The average annual rainfall is around 836 mm with the town getting its share if rainfall during the Southwest Monsoon.



The major source of water for drinking and agriculture comes from the Periyar River which flows Diverted from the state of Kerala. Suruli Falls which is 10 km from Cumbum is surrounded by mountains The nearest airport is Madurai and Kochi International Airport (Kerala) which is 175 km by road. Thekkady (Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Kerala) which is a tourist destination in Kerala state is 30 km from Cumbum, near Kumuli which is a border town between the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Cumbum is a valley, surrounded by hills. The eastern side of the hills constituting seven dams on the hills. In the South, the famous tourist attraction, "Thekkady" is situated Kerala. Cumbum is famous for its coconut & cardamom trading market.



The name Cumbum has derived from the famous temple of Lord Narayana (Kambaraya Perumal) around which the town has been built. It is believed that the temple was built during Pallava rule. This temple is considered a popular holy place in Theni District.
Vokkaliga gownders are Migrant settlers from the Mysore region of Karnataka who left due to political instability from the region during the 1760s to the 1790s started arriving in hordes and started clearing forests and tilling the land. During the British period, after the enactment of the Criminal Tribes Act, several settlements were created by the government and members belonging to the notified communities were uprooted from their original habitations and settled here.



The British officers posted in the area started regularizing land holdings based on good faith and track record. Cumbum is famous for the bullock cart (rekhla) racing heritage. Every year during the Muthalamman temple festival, bullock cart races takes place. This annual event is conducted by Vokkaligar gownder Ilaingarani and The Farmers Development Association. Racing bull & cart such as all originals heroes is all school pupil
Till 13th century, Cumbum was ruled by Cholas. However afterwards they were weak and subsequently Vijayanagar dynasty conquered this area. In 1374, "Sambanar" a king of Vijayanagara dynasty conquered the then Chola kings. In remembrance of that he built a fort which is now the Kambarayar temple.




Viswanatha Nayakar a representative of Vijaya Nagara dynasty when ruled Madurai, constructed temple for Kambaraya Perumal and Kasi Viswanathar inside the fort. This area was ruled by Kamba Nayakkar and Uthama Nayakkar (both belongs to kambalathar caste) - because of them the name of this Place - Kambam and Uthamapuram was arrived. It was one of the 72 Palayams formed by Viswanatha Nayakkar. There were high rise walls around the fort to monitor enemies which can be seen even now. Now it is called as Mottaiandi temple. The gates of the forts are historic symbols today.
In Silappathigaram, when Kovalan was executed, Kannagi walked along the river of Vaigai and came to Cumbum, Gudalur and from a rock from there, she went to the sky. So, this area was initially called "Vinnaethi Parai" - A rock from where sky was reached. Later the word got changed to "Vannathi Parai". In remembrance of Kannagi, a river is named after her which is now called "Koothanatch River".
Another historical temple is Nantha Gopalan temple. Mattu Pongal is very famous in this temple. All the nearby villagers come here with Bullock carts. We can get clay made bullocks during this festival.
Southern and Eastern sides Kerala is present. Keralites use to come here for buying groceries & vegetables.
There is another town with same name as "Cumbum" in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. This town also built by Vijayanagar dynasty having constructed with a large irrigation tank.
Geography
Cumbum is located at 9.73°N 77.3°E. It has an average elevation of 391 metres (1282 feet). The water in Cumbum is very sweet to drink. One can see the backdrop of Kodaikanal Hills from Cumbum. Apart from that Cumbum has most vigorous activity in agriculture.
Demographics
According to 2011 census, Kambam had a population of 68,090 with a sex-ratio of 1,012 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 6,661 were under the age of six, constituting 3,417 males and 3,244 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 7.76% and .02% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 76.55%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had a total of 18567 households.
There were a total of 26,623 workers, comprising 666 cultivators, 11,596 main agricultural labourers, 634 in house hold industries, 11,921 other workers, 1,806 marginal workers, 12 marginal cultivators, 1,110 marginal agricultural labourers, 62 marginal workers in household industries and 622 other marginal workers.
Politics

Cumbum assembly constituency is part of Theni (Lok Sabha constituency)

Monday, September 28, 2015

Kumbakkarai Falls

Kumbakkarai Falls
Kumbakkarai Falls are lesser known falls in the foothills of the Kodaikanal Hills. They are located at 10°10′48″N 77°31′50″E in Dindigul district, 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) from Periyakulam. Kumbakkarai Falls are located along the Kodai-Vellagavi-Periyakulam foot path.
These falls have two stages. At the first stage, water collects in huge rock recesses which are each named after wild animals such as tiger, elephant, snake etc. The Pambar River then flows .5 km (0.31 mi) to the second stage before falling as the main waterfall.



The Kumbakkarai Falls are located near Theni district of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The origin of the cascade is from the Western Ghats and the waters flow through the rocks, over the green pastures, to descend as Kumbakkarai Falls, at the foothills of the Kodaikanal Hills. Due to the long journey of the waters, they acquire healing and medicinal powers, to cure skin and other minor ailments. The Kumbakkarai Falls are lesser to known to the tourists, while being quite popular amongst the locals. The source of the waters of the Kumbakkarai Falls is the River Pamba.
The water originates in Kodaikanal Hills and flows along the rocks and finally reaches the foot hills. This place is called Kumbakkarai. The travellers come here and take bath in the falls. The water flows throughout the year; but in rainy seasons the flow will be very heavy. Bathing is possible.
Description
The Kumbakkarai Falls take a double drop or fall down the rocks in two stages. In the first stage, the water collects in rock recesses that have been named after wild animals found in the nearby forests such as tiger, elephant, snake etc. In the second stage, the River Pamba flows for a stretch of 5 kilometers, before descending down as the Kumbakkarai cascade. The tourists who visit these falls enjoy bathing under the healing waters. The Kumbakkarai Falls remain perennial throughout the year and the water currents are fierce during the rains. The height of the Kumbakkarai Falls is up to 400 meters.


A Lord Murugan Statue stands in the middle of the Kumbakkarai Falls. This cascade can be found en route to the famous hill station of south, Kodaikanal. The Kumbakkarai Falls serve as the base camp for the trekking expeditions to the Kodaikanal Hills. Amongst the Kumbakkarai Hills, this dangerous waterfall attracts many a tourists. Near the falls, a temple dedicated to Goddess Thadagai Nachiamman is visited by devout pilgrims. The temple is an ancient structure over 5 centuries old. For the young visitors, the Sirumalai Amusement Park is located at a distance of 7 kilometers from the Kumbakkarai Falls.
History
The present day Kumbakkarai which is tourist spot was once nothing but a forest with waterfalls. Thiru K.Chellam Iyer an affluent business man of Periyakulam those days and Proprietor of Bavani Krishna Vilas hotel wanted Kumbakkarai water falls to be one another tourist spot similar to Courtallam. He obtained permission of the British government in 1942 and constructed dressing rooms, staircases and bathing spots in that area at his own expense and Kumbakkarai waterfalls soon turned out to be a tourist spot. The present day Kumbakkarai still speak of his name. The stone inscription at Kumbakkarai waterfalls speaks about his contribution to the falls. The Murugan statue that can be seen in the Photo was sponsored by Thiru K Chellam Iyer of Periyakulam.
Visit with caution
The Kumbakkarai Falls are mighty and dangerous. The visitors bathing at the cascade should be careful of the slippery rocks and the heavy down pour of water. Holding on to the railings and each other’s hands would prove to be safe. It is advisable to take local help to visit the falls and for the trek into the hills. The temperatures at the Kumbakkarai Falls remain low even in summers and the weather can be quite chilly during the winter months! There are many temples on the way to the Kumbakkarai Falls from the nearest town. The nearest railway station and airport to the Kumbakkarai Falls is at Madurai.
Location
Kumbakkarai Falls is located very near to Theni district but falls under Dindigul District. This falls is exactly 8Kilometers away from Periyakulam. Theni is famous for Suruli falls and Kumbakkarai falls were visited next to Suruli falls. The water is available for the whole year. The water density is low during summer days and rich during the winter days. The source of water comes from Western Ghats. Peoples were allowed to bath in this waterfalls. If the water flow is high then people were restricted to bath in the falls. Kumbakkarai Falls is dangerous and people should take care of their life. Dangerous regions were notified by notice board anyhow it is your own duty to save your life. Kumbakkarai falls has many slippery regions and people were requested to bath with help of some support.


Sightseeing
There are many tourist spot near Kumbakkarai. You can also visit Suruli falls which is located near to Theni. Theni is a nice place with rich natural source. The Kumbakkarai climate will be cool all over the year. Winter days will too cool and summer days will be cool. You can enjoy the fine breeze. On the way to Kumbakkarai there will be several temples. In addition to this there trekking path to Kumbakkarai to Kodaikanal. People in Kumbakkarai will help you for your trekking journey. 
Accommodation
There is no accommodation near Kumbakkarai. Actually it is a forest. You can take room in Theni or Madurai or Periyakulam. If you are searching for 5 star hotels then Madurai suits you. But you can choose Theni or Periyakulam for your accommodation because it has good climate. Theni and Periyakulam have also got some decent hotels to stay.
Bus facilities
Bus facilities were available to Kumbakkarai through Periyakulam. Bus facilities are available for every 2 hours. There is a bus from Periyakulam with fare of Rs. 5 (6AM, 7AM, 1PM, 3.30PM & 4.30PM).Also you can hire some autos to reach Kumbakkarai. Hiring auto may charge you more.
Connectivity

By Air: Nearest airport is Madurai.
By Train: Nearest Railway junction is at Madurai.
By Road:  Nearest Bus stand is at Theni.
Madurai is well connected to Theni and all parts of Tamilnadu. So it is good to choose Madurai. Theni is well connected to Kumbakkarai via Periyakulam. You have first reach Periyakulam to reach Kumbakkarai.