The God of the mountains
Legend
Soorapadman was a demon who wrecked havoc in the lives of the Gods. The Devas assigned Kamadeva to awake Shiva from his penance to find a solution to the evil, but Manmatha incurred the Lord's wrath and was destroyed( later resurrected) when Shiva opened his third eye. Neither Agni nor Ganga could handle the blaze of the third eye and they deposited it in a lake in a forest. Goddess Parvati, took the form of this water body as she alone is capable of taming the fire of Shiva. The child is finally born in this forest and was named Kartikeya. Lord Karthikeya, later defeats Soorapadman in the fierce battle. The six most sacred abodes of Murugan mentioned in Tamil sangam literature, "Thirumurugatrupadai", written by Nakkeera and in "Thirupugal", written by Arunagirinathar forms the Arupadaiveedu temples of South India.
Deity - Temples
Deity :- Lord Karthikeya
Temples Covered:-
Thiruthani Murugan Temple
Palani Murugan Temple
Pazhamudhircholai Murugan Temple
Tirupparankundram Murugan Temple
Thiruchendur Murugan Temple
Swaminathaswamy Temple
Climate
The summers in this part of the country can be extremely hot and humid. The temperature rises upto the forties. Winter are pleasant with the average temperature in the twenties.
Auspicious Days
Thai Poosam and month of Karthika are considered auspicious for Murugan temples.
Annual festivals like the Skanda Sasti in these shrines are celebrated with festivities
Best time to Travel
The temples are opened throughout the year and the Aarupadai veedu tour can be undertaken any time of the year. Hot summers are best avoided.
Darshan Info Clock Duration
5-6 days from Chennai.
Yatra Preparations
The yatra though not very strenuous includes quite a bit of travelling through the state of Tamil Nadu.
Area Covered
Tamil NaduLanguage spoken :- Tamil
Must Haves
Use light cotton clothing during the journey and traditional attire for the temple visits.Western outfits are not allowed in the temples of Tamil Nadu.
Water bottles, light snacks, sunscreen, essential medicines should be carried in the daypack.
Health Awareness
Most of these temples have good medical facilities in their vicinity. However, it is advisable to carry any special medication that you might need for the entire duration of the journey.
Travel Method
All these Murugan shrine are well connected by roads.
Crowd Expected
As the temples are open throughout the year, there is not much crowd on regular day. However, during the month of Karthika and for festivals like Skanda Sasti there is a large flow of devotees to these shrines.
Festivals
Thai Poosam and month of Karthika are considered auspicious for Murugan temples.
Annual festivals in these shrines are celebrated with festivities.
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