All about Thiruthani Murugan Temple of Tamil Nadu

We all know that the Teacher’s Day in India is celebrated on September 5, which is the birth anniversary of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. The first Vice-President of India and the second President of the country was born in the town of Thiruthani in Tamil Nadu. The town of Thiruthani where Radhakrishnan was born is a popular destination for religious travel; we are talking about the famous Thiruthani Murugan Temple. Here is a look into the temple and its history on the eve of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birth anniversary.

About the temple The Thiruthani Murugan Temple is located on Thiruthani hill, and is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Muruga. It is considered one of the six holy abodes of Lord Muruga, and has 365 steps that represents 365 days of the year.

Story of the temple
According to a legend, Lord Indra had given his daughter Deivayanai to Skanda for marriage. He also offered his elephant Airavatam as a part of the dowry, and when the elephant left Indra, his wealth started to wane. When Subramanyar suggested that the elephant be returned to Indra, he refused, bound by his promise. Instead, Lord Indra ordered that the elephant should face in his direction, which is east. Hence, the elephant in the temple can be seen facing eastward. According to another legend, Lord Indra presented a sandal stone as a part of the dowry during his daughter’s wedding. So, the sandal paste was supposedly applied to Subramanya’s image, and it has since acquired medicinal value. You will also find the chest of Lord Subramanya to be hollow; this apparently happened when the demon Tarakasuran threw a discus on his chest.

The temple town is about 2 hours away from Chennai.