One among the many important Vishnu temples in and around Madurai is the Kalamegha Perumal temple in an ancient village called Thirumohur (Thirumoghur). This place, originally called Mohana Kshetram and Mohur, has been mentioned in Sangam and post-Sangam literature. It is also one of the 108 Divya Desams (sacred places for Vishnu, praised in the Tamil devotional verses of the Azhwars, important devotees of God Vishnu). Nammazhwar and Thirumangai Azhwar have praised this deity. Vishnu is said to have taken the form of Mohini, associated with Kshirabdhi Manthanam (churning of the ocean of milk) here.
Subsequently, when the devas wanted to see the true form of Vishnu, Kalamegha Perumal appeared at this place. Vishnu is called Kalamegha as He resembles a dark rain-bearing cloud (‘kala’ means ‘dark’ and ‘megha’ is ‘cloud’ in Samskrit). It is believed that Kalamegha Perumal accompanied Nammazhvar’s soul on the route to Vaikuntam (Vishnu’s celestial abode) and hence, this deity is also called Marga Bandhu (in Samskrit) and Vazhithunai Perumal (in Tamil), both of which mean ‘the God who accompanies and protects on a journey’.
The east-facing central sanctum enshrines the image of Kalamegha Perumal in a standing pose, holding the Sankha and Chakra in the upper hands. His lower right hand is in varada hasta (boon-giving gesture) and the lower left hand rests on the gada (mace). Perumal is flanked by Goddesses Sridevi and Bhudevi. The utsava-murti (processional image), known as Thirumohur Appan and also as Aaptan, is just like Kalamegha Perumal but holds five weapons. The deities are enshrined under the Ketaki Vimanam. Goddess Lakshmi is known as Moghurvalli Nachiyar, Mohanavalli and Meghavalli. Another sanctum has a large image of Vishnu reclining on Adisesha, with Sridevi and Bhudevi near His feet and worshipped as Kshirabdhinathan and Pallikonda Perumal.
This temple is famous for its rare image of Chakrattazhvar (Sudarsana, the personification of the chakra of Vishnu), having 16 hands holding sixteen weapons and in the pose of moving forward. The image of Yoga Narasimha is one the rear side of Sudarsana. The utsava-murti of Chakrattazhwar which is exactly like the main one, has the Bheejakshara Mantra inscribed on it, while the 48 deities presiding over these aksharas can be seen on the main image.
The pushkarini (temple-tank) is called Ksheerabhdhi Pushkarini (Thiruparkadal) and also as Brahma Tirtham and the sthala vriksham (sacred-tree) is the arasa maram (pipal). Several historical inscriptions found in this temple, mostly belonging to the Pandya dynasty who ruled over this area from Madurai their capital, refer to donations of land, money and offerings to God Paramaswami of Thirumohur. Stone images of the Marudu brothers are there in this temple.
Thirumohur is about 13 km from Madurai near a place called Othakkadai.