One of the Abodes of Lord Murugan near kodaikanal
The beauty of Palani hills attracted the deities of this region to make their home on these beautiful locations of south India. These hill ranges formed by picturesque projections of Western Ghats conceals many ancient temples of lord Murugan, which can be easily accessed from Kodaikanal.
Last summer when we went to Kodaikanal for a weeklong vacation we came to know about one of the popular abodes of Lord Murugan, the Palani Dhandayuthapani temple located at around an hour's drive from Kodai. It was a sumptuous journey offering all the pleasures of the mountain ranges covered with a green shawl and a few sleepy hamlets resting on their summits. We had a feeling that the journey should never end since it offered a sublime experience of moving in a paradise. If you once take a road route in the vicinity of these misty hills you will never forget it throughout your life. It was a delightful sojourn to the Palani Dhandayuthapani temple which is the abode of Lord Murugan the most popular deity of South India.
This temple which is tucked at the foothills of Palani between popular cities of Madurai and Coimbatore has a long history, which is preserved in the form of Tamil inscriptions. One of the uniqueness of this idol in the temple is that unlike other idols it is made of mixture of nine poisonous materials and it is believed that when these nine ingredients are mixed in required proportion it offers medicinal properties. We were awestruck with the beauty of the idol and kept looking at it for quite a long time. Palani city offers beautiful views of the twin hills Saktigiri and Sivagiri, which is the taller of the two having the Dhandayuthapani temple tucked on the summits. In historical times pilgrims used to climb this hill by means of a path carved in the rocks of the mountain, which was used by ceremonial elephants to access the temple. There is another parallel path for the pilgrims, who are carrying water for traditional bath of the deity. We were surprised by knowing that there is one more path, which is reserved specially for the priests. There are rail lines as well as a rope way coming to this place made for the convenience of pilgrims. There are many types of accommodations available here for a comfortable Stay in Kodaikanal.
Beauty of the temple is multiplied by its sanctum made in Chera architectural style, whereas other sections show influence of the Pandyan style of architecture. But one of the architectural grandeurs is the gopuram or the high rising tower, which is made of gold and adorned with beautiful sculptures of gods and goddesses. As per the traditional rituals of the temple we offered hair to the deity and collected rakkala chandanam, which is said to gain medicinal properties when applied to the forehead of the deity. The temple which can be visited at any time in the year is kept closed in the afternoon which is the resting time of the deity. Best time to visit is the festival time like Pankuni-Uththiram, Thai-Poosam, and Pankuni-Uththiram when hordes of visitors gather here.
Last summer when we went to Kodaikanal for a weeklong vacation we came to know about one of the popular abodes of Lord Murugan, the Palani Dhandayuthapani temple located at around an hour's drive from Kodai. It was a sumptuous journey offering all the pleasures of the mountain ranges covered with a green shawl and a few sleepy hamlets resting on their summits. We had a feeling that the journey should never end since it offered a sublime experience of moving in a paradise. If you once take a road route in the vicinity of these misty hills you will never forget it throughout your life. It was a delightful sojourn to the Palani Dhandayuthapani temple which is the abode of Lord Murugan the most popular deity of South India.
This temple which is tucked at the foothills of Palani between popular cities of Madurai and Coimbatore has a long history, which is preserved in the form of Tamil inscriptions. One of the uniqueness of this idol in the temple is that unlike other idols it is made of mixture of nine poisonous materials and it is believed that when these nine ingredients are mixed in required proportion it offers medicinal properties. We were awestruck with the beauty of the idol and kept looking at it for quite a long time. Palani city offers beautiful views of the twin hills Saktigiri and Sivagiri, which is the taller of the two having the Dhandayuthapani temple tucked on the summits. In historical times pilgrims used to climb this hill by means of a path carved in the rocks of the mountain, which was used by ceremonial elephants to access the temple. There is another parallel path for the pilgrims, who are carrying water for traditional bath of the deity. We were surprised by knowing that there is one more path, which is reserved specially for the priests. There are rail lines as well as a rope way coming to this place made for the convenience of pilgrims. There are many types of accommodations available here for a comfortable Stay in Kodaikanal.
Beauty of the temple is multiplied by its sanctum made in Chera architectural style, whereas other sections show influence of the Pandyan style of architecture. But one of the architectural grandeurs is the gopuram or the high rising tower, which is made of gold and adorned with beautiful sculptures of gods and goddesses. As per the traditional rituals of the temple we offered hair to the deity and collected rakkala chandanam, which is said to gain medicinal properties when applied to the forehead of the deity. The temple which can be visited at any time in the year is kept closed in the afternoon which is the resting time of the deity. Best time to visit is the festival time like Pankuni-Uththiram, Thai-Poosam, and Pankuni-Uththiram when hordes of visitors gather here.
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