Sri Madhusudhana Perumal Temple is located in the village of Parakkai, about 5 km from
Nagercoil on the way to Manakudy. It is an ancient temple of
Lord Vishnu who appears in the form of Madhusudhana.
It is said that Lord Vishnu came to be known as Madhusudhana after he had killed the demons Madhu and Kaidapan. The deity is about 5 ft in height and has four arms. Two hands hold the disc and conch and a right hand is held up in abaya hastha (assuring hands) position and the left rests on the left thigh. He is accompanied by the Goddesses, Lakshmi and Bhoomadevi (Mother Earth).
The temple is famous for its mural paintings and for its beautiful art on stone. There is a mandapam whose pillars contain numerous images of gods. A remarkable feature of the temple is the stone image of Garuda facing the deity.
