Palani Murugan Idol: History, Significance, and Legends
On June 11, 2025Palani Murugan
Lord Murugan is the son of the Hindu deities, Shiva and Parvati, and the brother of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity. As the patron god of the Tamil people, he has many sacred abodes in various parts of the state. Many of them are located on hills. Of these, the Palani Murugan Temple is one of the most renowned. It is also one among the Arupadai veedu (six sacred abodes of Murugan).
Once, after losing a contest (over who could go around the world first) to Ganesha, Muruga left his parents’ abode, Kailasa, in a huff. Ganesha won the prized fruit (Jnana-pazham) by merely going around his parents, who were his entire world. On seeing this, Muruga became angry and left Kailasa.
He reached Tiru Avinankudi at the Adivāram ('foot of the Sivagiri Hill). Shiva assured Muruga that he was the fruit (pazham) of all wisdom and knowledge. Hence, the place got the name ‘Pazham-nee’ (meaning ‘you are the fruit'), which later became Palani.
The temple is also called Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Temple. The Sangam text Tirumurukarruppatai refers to it as Thiruaavinankudi. According to Hindu mythology, a demon called Idumban carried the hillock from Mt. Kailas on Sage Agastya’s orders, and Murugan made him place it at its current location. Eventually, Murugan took up residence on the hill.
The idol of Murugan in the temple has a history that goes back several millennia. Sage Bhogar, a renowned Siddhar, is its creator.
Sage Bhogar
The story goes that Sage Bhogar, one of the Siddhars, was practicing Kundalini Yoga in 4 stages. He chose the Palani hills for doing his tapas or yogic practice for the final stage. He attained swarūpa samādhi at Palani through Muruga’s grace. The temple at Palani was the epicenter of his activities. Bhogar supposedly visited many countries physically, astrally, and through transmigration.
Bhogar held a meeting in which many Siddhas took part. This was just before the present Kali Yuga began in 3102 BC. The Siddhas deliberated on the best way for humanity to progress spiritually during Kali Yuga, a period of darkness. The Yoga of love and devotion, Bhakti Yoga, was chosen as the best method. The Siddhas entrusted Bhogar with the task of devising the rituals for worshipping their favorite deity, Palani Āndavar (Lord of Palani), who was none other than Muruga.
Bhogar developed many rituals for this purpose. These rituals are performed even now at the Palani temple. The main ritual is the hydration (Abishekam) of the idol with various substances, including Panchamirtam (a blend of honey and five fruits). To create the idol, he needed a substance that would endure throughout Kali Yuga. Even granite, the most resilient of all known substances, could crack after some years. So Bhogar created a novel material called Nava Paashanam using nine secret chemical and herbal ingredients, and it was harder than granite. He combined eight ingredients in a mold of the idol and added the ninth as a catalyst in order to solidify it. The belief is that he mastered alchemy during his travels in China and used this knowledge to fashion the Muruga idol.
In recent times, curious scientists have taken a small sample from the idol and run tests to identify its composition. But when they heated it, the sample immediately sublimated. So, its composition still remains a mystery. Traces of the substance are present in the ritual offerings used during the hydration ceremony. Devotees believe that consuming it enhances their spiritual progress.
Nava Paashanam: The Nine Potent Substances
Nava Paashanam, the mysterious substance created by Bhogar, contains nine potent substances that have medicinal properties when they are alchemically combined. These substances are:
Mercury: A liquid metal with transformative properties.
Sulfur: A mineral with purifying qualities.
Arsenic: A metalloid used in traditional medicine.
Antimony: A lustrous gray metalloid.
Lead: A heavy metal.
Copper sulfate: A bright blue compound.
Gold: A precious metal associated with divinity.
Silver: Precious metal with purifying properties.
Iron: A metal known for strength and resilience.
Though some of the above are poisonous, Bhogar used his knowledge of alchemy to transform them into a whole new and beneficial amalgam with potent healing properties. Many devotees claim to have experienced the idol’s healing powers. Various techniques have been used to preserve the idol’s integrity across the many centuries of its existence.
Significance of the Idol’s Composition
The idol of Palani Murugan is a product of alchemy, an ancient and occult science. It has a deep spiritual meaning. The nine substances used in Nava Paashanam represent the transmutation of negativity (poison) into positivity (medicine). Hence, the idol of Palani Murugan is of great significance to those who seek healing on the spiritual and physical planes.
The idol has withstood centuries of Abishekams. Around 700 Abishekams take place on Karthikai day alone! And yet, the idol still endures.
Devotees claim that the Prasad comprising the offerings for Abishekam has curative properties. The overnight chandan (sandalwood), especially, is regarded as a cure for many diseases.
Some claim that using the Abishekam water cured them of their leucoderma and asthma.
The annual festivals in the temple attract hordes of devotees, who speak of divine miracles engineered by Palani Murugan.
Legend of Palani Murugan
There are many legends about Palani Murugan. The Asura, Idumban, had been a part of Surapadman’s army. He survived the war and became a devotee of Muruga and the disciple of Sage Agastya. Agastya asked Idumban to carry the hills, Shivagiri and Shaktigiri, to his abode in South India. Idumban slung the hills across his shoulders, one on either side, in the form of a kavadi. Feeling tired, he placed his burden near Palani. Around this time, Murugan reached the Adivaram, or foot of the Sivagiri Hill, after losing the contest to Ganesha.
When Idumban tried to continue his journey, he was unable to lift the hill. It was Muruga’s doing. Idumban fought Murugan but was killed. However, Murugan restored his life and gave him two boons. One was that devotees who carried kavadi on their shoulders and visited the temple to fulfill a vow should gain his blessings. Another was that Idumban should be allowed to stand guard at the hill’s entrance.
There is a shrine to Idumban halfway up the Palani hill. All devotees offer obeisance to Idumban before they enter the Murugan temple. They carry their offerings on their shoulders in the form of a kavadi.
Conclusion
The idol of Palani Murugan is a marvel as well as a mystery. It speaks of the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient seers known as the Siddhas, who were revered not only for their spiritual powers but also for their literary contributions and expertise in traditional medicine. The Siddhas may have vanished in the mists of time, but their legacy continues to live in many forms, of which the Palani Murugan idol is just one.
