Image source: Arunava Mukherjee
About Murugan Temple
Located at a height of 1400 feet, Palani Murugan Temple is one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan situated in Palani. The temple attracts millions of devotees annually.
Mythological connection
Lord Murugan is one of the most revered deities in Tamil Nadu. There is a story linked to the Palani Murugan Temple. According to Puranas, once Narad visited Mount Kailash bearing a divine fruit called the Gnanapazham, or the “Fruit of Knowledge.”
Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati decided to present this precious fruit to one of their two sons.
They said to two of his sons that whoever circled the world three times and returned first would win the fruit.
Lord Murugan, known for his valour and energy, immediately mounted his divine peacock and started revolving around the earth. Whereas his brother, Lord Ganesh, decided his parents, Shiva and Parvati, symbolised the entire universe, he simply circled them three times.
Impressed by his wisdom, Shiva and Parvati declared Lord Ganesh the winner and awarded him the Gnanapazham. Feeling disappointed and misunderstood, Murugan left Mount Kailash in frustration. He renounced his worldly attachments and travelled south, finally settling in Palani, a hill in Tamil Nadu.
The deity in the temple is depicted as Dhandayuthapani, a youthful ascetic holding a staff (Danda) as a symbol of renunciation. Devotees often chant, “Palani Andavar Thunai” (Lord of Palani is our protector) and revere him as the embodiment of self-realisation and divine wisdom.
How To Reach
Palani is situated at a distance of 65 km and takes around 2 hours by road.