 During Mahapralaya, the great disaster, the devotees sought the abode of Vishnu in Madurai.It is believed that Vishnu stood as a bulwark against the impending disaster, giving him the name of the city as Naanmadakoodal or Koodal Nagar ('Koodal' in Tamil is bulwark).The place is mentioned to be significant during four ages namely, "Satya Yuga", "Treta Yuga", "Dwapar Yuga" and "Kali Yuga".