Gurunathanmukadi Sree Ayyappaguru Temple is situated on a picturesque hill near the banks of the Achankovil River, directly opposite the Pandalam Sri Valiyakoickal Dharma Sastha Temple. The legend of this temple is deeply intertwined with the Pandalam kingdom. According to tradition, when Sri Manikandan (young Ayyappa) was raised at the Pandalam palace, he was taught by a guru named Sri Gurunathan, an incarnation of Sivachaithanya and a great Mahayogi. Sri Gurunathan arrived in Pandalam, guided by Lord Shiva through a dream. With the patronage and blessings of Sri Rajasekharan, the then king of Pandalam, Sri Gurunathan established a Gurukulam on a hill and became the Gurukula Guru. more He taught Manikandan various shastras, and Manikandan excelled in combat arts. Pleased with Manikandan's learning capabilities, Gurunathan rewarded him with his golden 'Churika.' As a gesture of gratitude, Sri Manikandan cured the inborn deafness and dumbness of Gurunathan's son, thereby revealing his divine nature to the world. Sri Gurunathan spent the rest of his life in the Gurukulam hills and later entered 'holy samadhi.' This sacred hill is now known as Gurunathanmukadi. The hill has become a revered place due to the blessings of Sri Ayyappaguru and the holy presence of Sri Ayyappa. The temple complex on these holy hills houses idols of Sree Ayyappaguru, Sree Ayyappa, Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Sree Bhadra, Lord Ganapati, Sree Nagaraja, and Nagayakshi, all worshipped according to traditional religious rites. Despite its significance, the temple complex has not yet received the publicity it deserves to attract devotees from far and wide. Devotees need to know who the Guru of Sri Ayyappa Swami was, where he learned the Gurukulavidya, and where the Guru entered Samadhi. While Sree Ayyappa temples have been built worldwide, Gurunathanmukadi is the only temple dedicated to Sri Ayyappaguru.