Palani Murugan Temple – Deity
The idol of the deity is said to be made of an amalgam
of nine poisonous substances which forms an eternal medicine when mixed in a
certain ratio. It is placed upon a pedestal of stone, with an archway framing
it and represents the god Subrahmanya in the form he assumed at Palani - that of a very
young recluse, shorn of his locks and all his finery, dressed in no more than a
loincloth and armed only with a staff, the dhandam, as befits a monk. It
is from his youthful appearance and the staff he bears, that the
appellation Bala-dhandayudha-pani, meaning the young wielder of the
staff-weapon, is applied to him.
One curious aspect of the deity is that he faces west
rather than east, the traditional direction at most Hindu temples. This is held
to be on account of the temple having been re-consecrated by the Cheras, whose
dominions lay to the west, and the guardian of whose eastern frontier was
supposed to be the Lord Kartikeya of Palani.
Another fact that will be remarked upon by any observer,
are the rather disproportionately large ears the Lord is endowed with. This is
reflective of the faith that the Lord listens carefully to each of his many
devotees' prayers and requests. Housed in the garbhagriham, the sanctum
sanctorum, of the temple, the deity
may be approached and handled only by the temple's priests, who are members of
the Gurukkal community of Palani, and hold hereditary rights of
sacerdotal worship at the temple. Other devotees are permitted to come up to
the sanctum, while the priests' assistants, normally of the Pandaram community,
are allowed up to the ante-chamber of the sanctum sanctorum.
The Temple is situated upon the higher of the two hills
of Palani, known as the Sivagiri. Traditionally, access to it was by the main
staircase cut into the hill-side or by the yanai-padhai or elephant's
path, used by the ceremonial elephants. Pilgrims bearing water for the ritual
bathing of the idol, and the priests, would use another way also carved into
the hill-side but on the opposite side. Over the past half-century, three funicular
railway tracks have been
laid up the hill for the convenience of the pilgrims, and supplemented by a
rope-way within the past decade.
The sanctum of the temple is of early Chera architecture while the covered ambulatory that
runs around it bears unmistakable traces of Pandya influence, especially
in the form of the two fishes, the Pandyan royal insignia. The walls of
the sanctum bear extensive inscriptions in the old Tamil script. Surmounting
the sanctum is a gopuram of gold, with numerous sculptures of the presiding
deity, Kartikeya, and gods and goddesses attendant upon him.
In the first inner praharam, or ambulatory, around
the heart of the temple, are two minor shrines, one each, to Shiva and Parvati,
besides one to the Sage Bhogar who is by legend credited with the creation and
consecration of the chief idol. In the second outer praharam, is a
celebrated shrine to Ganapati is located,
besides the carriage-house of the Lord's Golden Chariot.
Lord Murugan is the deity of the Tamil Land. Palani
(Tiru Avinangudi) is the third Padai Veedu. The temple at Palani is an ancient
one, situated at an elevation of 1500 feet above sea level. It is a charming
campus from where one can take a look at the Idumban Hill, the Kodaikanal
Hills, the Western Ghats, the greenery of the paddy fields, rivers, tanks,
Palani town and the colleges. On a lovely, clear and mist-free day, the Kurinji
Andavar Temple is visible from here against the bright Sun. In daytime, Palani
is Hill Beautiful; at night, it is Hill Resplendent.