Palani Murugan Temple Mystery: Why Pilgrims Climb Hundreds Of Steps To Get His Blessings

Palani Murugan temple is located at the top of Sivagiri Hill in the town of Palani, Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. This temple is also known by the name of Arulmigu Dandayudhapani Swami temple. Over the years, this temple has become a pilgrimage for a lot of devotees around the world because of its mysterious healing power, architecture, rich history, and revered Murugan idol made out of nine poisonous metals. The idol of Lord Murugan stands with a staff in his right hand and with rudraksha beads around his neck.

Palani Murugam Temple: Why People Climb Hundreds Of Steps To Get His Blessings

The Palani Murugam Temple has been attracting millions of devotees from around the world. According to the Palani.in website, the Palani Hill is situated at a height of 500 ft. Devotees paying their visits to Murugan need to climb 693 steps to get his blessings. It is believed that the prashad that is offered to the devotees has a lot of healing properties and can cure even some incurable and complex diseases. This is the reason why devotees climb hundreds of steps to get his blessings.

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How The Temple Came Into Existence?

There is no clear evidence of how this temple came into existence, but according to some Tamil scriptures, the Murunga idol was created by Sage Bogar. Bogar was one of the 18 siddhars of Hinduism. It is believed that Bogar sculpted the idol by using navapashanam, meaning 9 poisonous metals. He also harnessed the poisonous nature of these metals and mixed them in such a ratio that they work like medicines.

Sage Bogar sculpted the idol by using navapashanam, meaning 9 poisonous metals (Image: Facebook/palanimurugamtemple) 

For centuries, it was believed that the idol was lost in the dense forest surrounding the hill until it was discovered by the Chera King. It is said that, in the king's dream, Murugam came, commanding him to restore the idol. Then the king built the temple, placing the idol of Murugan in it. Over the years, the temple has become a pilgrimage for many devotees around the world.

Story Of Palani Murugam Temple

As per Hindu Mythology, Lord Shiva was gifted with a rare fruit of wisdom and knowledge by Sage Naruda. Lord Shiva wanted to share this fruit with his two sons, Ganesha and Murugan (Karthikeya), by dividing it into equal parts. However, Sage Naruda advised him that the fruit will lose its power if cut into pieces.
So, Lord Shiva announced a competition for his sons and declared that whoever completes three circles of the world will win this fruit. Murugan, eager to win, immediately mounted his peacock and started his journey. While on the other Ganesha being the wise and thoughtful, realised that his parents, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, represent the world. So he circled three times around them and won the competition.
When Murugan completed his three rounds and came back, he was disappointed to learn that Ganesha won. So to gather more knowledge and wisdom, Murugan left Kailash and took refuge in the Palani Hills. He renounced all the worldly pleasures and chose a life of meditation and self-discovery.

 Murugan left Kailash and took refuge in the Palani Hills (Image: Facebook/palanimurugamtemple)

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The Palani Murugan temple, located in the foothills of Palani, holds a lot of spiritual importance. The temple, standing for centuries, has attracted millions of pilgrims and devotees seeking wisdom, knowledge, and spirituality. The temple stands as a remarkable testament to centuries of devotion, architecture, and the spiritual landscape for many devotees.