Temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry: Temple Group #4 The Aaru Padai Veedugal - The Six Abodes of Lord Murugan

ஆறு படை வீடு அல்லது அறு படை வீடு கோயில்கள்

The Aaru Padai Veedu (ஆறு படை வீடு) or Aru Padai Veedu (அறு படை வீடு} are a group of six temples dedicated to Lord Murugan. Located around various regions of the state of Tamil Nadu, these temples are both ancient and of great spiritual significance to the Tamil people. Murugan is often referred to as the Tamil God and he likely predates the establishment of formal Vedic Hinduism or Sanatan practices in the Tamil country more than two thousand years ago. They find mention in ancient Tamil texts of the Sangam era. Thousands of pilgrims flock to these temples throughout the year and on special days and during festivals, the numbers swell to the tens of thousands. The great temples builders like the Pallava, Chola, Vijayanagar and the Nayakkar primarily worshipped Lord Siva or Lord Vishnu and built temples dedicated to these two deities. Perhaps for that reason the Murugan temples are not architecturally as impressive as the others. But to the devotee they are very important temples. These six temples are some of the most popular temples in Tamil Nadu. They are frequently referred to as the abodes of Murugan but a Padai Veedu means a battle encampment or fortress in Tamil emphasizing the martial qualities of Lord Murugan. But the six temples also symbolize various other attributes of Lord Murugan including knowledge and renunciation. The six temples are in order, Thiruparankundram near Madurai, Thiruchendur near Thoothukudi, Palani near Dindigul, Swamimalai in Kumbakonam and Thiruthani close to Chennai.

1. Thiruparankundram is located on the outskirts of Madurai. It is the first Padai Veedu. It is also renowned as a Paadal Petra Sivasthalam. It is an ancient temple. It began as a rock cut cave temple set against a hill. The core of the temple is still the cave sanctum with it is idols cut into the rock face. The temple has been built in front of it over time by various dynasties. The entire hill is considered holy. Legend holds that this is where Lord Murugan married Devasena or Deivanai after he defeated the demon Surapadman.

2. Thiruchendur is located on the seashore near Thoothukudi. It is the only coastal abode with others situated on or near hills or hillocks. This where legend says that Lord Murugan battled and defeated the demon Surapadman. Its location is special as it has survived many natural disasters like tsunamis over the centuries as well as the ravages of foreign invasions.

3. Palani or Pazhani is located on top of a hill near the town of Dindigul in the interior of Tamil Nadu. The temple is also known as Thiru Avinankudi. The idol here is thought to be made of a combination of herbal substances called the Navapashanam in ancient times. It is a much revered shrine. It is either reached by climbing steep series of steps or by a rope or cable care that transports pilgrims to the top. This temple symbolizes Lord Murugan as the ascetic and emphasizes renunciation from worldly affairs as a central characteristic of the Hindu faith. The Lord here is also celebrated as Dhandayuthapani.

4. Swamimalai in Kumbakonam is located in the Chola heartland. It is built on a small man made hillock. This is where Lord Murugan expounded the Pranava Mantra to his father Lord Siva according to legend. As such it symbolizes the wisdom of Lord Murugan. There are sixty steps to reach the sanctum symbolizing the 60 years in the Hindu calendar.

5. Thiruthani is the fifth abode and is located near Chennai. It is situated on a hill surrounded by lush green forests. There are 365 steps to reach the top symbolizing the days of the year. Legend says that this where Lord Murugan attained inner peace after the intense battle with Surapadman. As such it symbolizes meditation and inner tranquility.

6. The sixth and last abode is Palamuthircholai or Pazhamuthircholai which is located north of Madurai near Alagar Malai. It is up on a hillside and surrounded by verdant forest land. This is where Lord Murugan married Valli. It is also purported to be where the ancient legend which describes the Tamil poetess Avvaiyar being taught a lesson in semantics by the Lord Murugan in the guise of a young lad. It is known as the Sutta Palam (சுட்ட பழம்) versus the Sudatha Palam (சுடாத பழம்) story.

Thiruparankundram is best accessed from Madurai which has excellent accommodation and access to a modern airport and rail connections. It is located on the southern outskirts of Madurai. Thiruchendur is located near Thoothukudi and Thirunelvely. Both towns have good accomodation and are easily accessible from Madurai. Swamimalai is near Kumbakonam which has decent hotels as it is a major pilgrimage centre and is also close to Thanjavur and not very far from Trichy either. Thiruthani is about 2.5 hours by car from Chennai and Chennai is the best base to access it. To visit Swamimalai, the best place to stay is Madurai.

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