Beyond Tamil Nadu: The Secret of Murugan's Aru Padai Veedu, Chakras, and Skanda's Samadhi

The six holy abodes of Lord Murugan (Kartikeya/Skanda) in Tamil Nadu, known as Aru Padai Veedu, are significant spiritual sites that represent an energetic map of spiritual ascent.

Yogis and Siddhas consider the pilgrimage to these six temples as a journey essentially mirroring the Kundalini's rise through the six major chakras in the subtle body. Each temple is viewed as a powerful point for activating a corresponding chakra, guiding devotees toward spiritual evolution. 

1. Thirupparankundram Muthal Padai Veedu

The Tirupparankunram Murugan Temple is revered as the first of the "Arupadai Veedu".

Located on a hillock on the outskirts of Madurai, it is the sacred site where Lord Murugan married Devasena, the daughter of the king of the Devas, Indra, after his victory over the demon Soorapadman. This divine marriage was witnessed by the Supreme Trinity: Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Brahma.

The sanctum sanctorum is of distinctive structure. While most Murugan temples of Tamil Nadu are on top of the hill, this shrine is at the base - perfectly fitting the Mooladhara chakra. It seems like the idols are carved out of the rocky hill. Saravanan is seen alongside his mother, Devi Durga. A unique feature of this temple is that the abhishekam is performed for the Vel (divine spear) rather than the main Murugan idol. 

While Devasena is generally venerated as Murugan's consort in most Tamil Nadu temples, she plays a more prominent role here, given that it is believed location of her marriage. In contrast, in East India, Devasena is independently worshipped in the form of Shashthi. The temple is a significant site for those praying for the boon of marriage and family harmony.

2. Thiruchendur 

Thiruchendur Murugan Temple is the second of the six abodes of Murugan. It is the sacred site where Lord Murugan and his army camped before and won his battle against the demon Soorapadman. The feat of Surasamharam, the vanquishing of Soora, took place here.

By legend, Murugan defeated Soorapadman with his Vel (divine spear), transforming the demon into two entities: a peacock (which became his vehicle) and a rooster (which he placed on his flag). After the war, Murugan is said to have worshipped Lord Shiva here. The temple is located on the seashore near Thoothukudi, amidst the remains of the ancient Gandhamadana Parvat - the mountain of enticing fragrance (a.k.a. Santhanamalai, the Sandal Mountain).

Oddly enough, this is the only Aru Padai Veedu on a sandy beach, far from the hills. Considering that the sacral Swadhishtana chakra is associated with water, on brand!

3. The Legend of Palani: "Pazham Nee"

The name 'Palani' is derived from the Tamil phrase "Pazham Nee" (meaning "You are the fruit" of wisdom). This came about when Murugan, in anger, renounced his family and went to the hill, standing as an ascetic. To pacify him, Shiva and Parvati appeared and told him, “Pazham Nee.”

The main temple, situated atop the Palani hilltop, is where the deity is worshipped as Dhandāyuthapāni. This form depicts Murugan in a meditating state, carrying a staff (danda) as a weapon (ayudha) in his hand (pani). This is the place where Murugan is said to have reconciled with his family after their dispute over a divine fruit.

The Idumban Legend and the Kavadi Tradition

The Idumban Hill is central to the origin of the Kavadi tradition.

Sage Agastya instructed his disciple, Idumban, to carry two hills, Sivagiri and Saktigiri, from the North to the South. Idumban carried them on a pole, like a traditional Kavadi.

When Idumban stopped to rest, he couldn't lift the hills again. He saw a young boy (Lord Murugan in disguise) standing atop one of the hills. A fight ensued, in which Idumban was killed. Lord Murugan later revived Idumban, as he was but a humble disciple and devotee.  Idumban is the appointed guardian deity of the Palani hill.

Due to this event, devotees traditionally worship at the Idumban shrine before proceeding to the main Palani temple on the hill. Furthermore, the practice of devotees carrying a Kavadi—an ornamental mount decked with flowers and tinsel work—on foot for long distances is a commonly followed worship practice.

Kavadi, when done right, challenges the devotee’s physique and mind. The act might be excellent at opening up the inner fire of Manipura chakra.

Popular Temple Traditions

• Tonsuring (Mudi Kanikkai): Devotees who take a vow often discard or tonsure their hair, following the ascetic appearance of the Palani deity.

• Sandalwood Anointing: A nightly tradition involves anointing the head of the presiding deity's idol with sandalwood paste just before the temple closes. The paste, which stays overnight, is believed to acquire medicinal properties and is distributed to devotees as rakkāla chandaṇam.

Thiruaavinankudi: At the base of the Palani hill (Malai Adivaram) is a smaller temple called Thiruaavinankudi. Here, the deity is known as Kulanthai Velayuthaswami. The name is said to denote a place (kudi) that was worshipped by Lakshmi (Thiru), the owner of cows (Aavinan).

4. Swamimalai Murugan Temple: Guru to The Father

Swamimalai Swaminathaswamy Temple is one of the Arupadaiveedu (six sacred abodes) of Lord Murugan, and it holds the distinction of being the fourth in the sequence of these six holy sites.

The temple is renowned for a powerful legend where Lord Murugan acted as the guru (teacher) to his own father, Lord Shiva.

The story goes that the young Murugan (also known as Kartikeya or Subrahmanya) encountered Lord Brahma, the Creator. Feeling that Brahma had shown insufficient respect for his divine presence and role, Murugan detained him. He then questioned Brahma on the meaning of the primordial sound and ultimate mantra, "AUM" (the Pranava Mantra), which is the very source of Brahma’s creative power.

When Brahma could not provide a satisfactory answer, Murugan imprisoned him, declaring that one who does not know the essence of the Pranava is unfit to perform the act of creation!

Lord Shiva intervened to secure Brahma's release, but then posed the same question to his son: "If you know the meaning, then you explain it to me." Murugan agreed, but only on the condition that Shiva would assume the role of a humble “shishya” (disciple) and listen with reverence. 

The lord Bholenath, as egoless as a toddler, smiled to the deal. But Shiva’s is the highest of all - there is no position higher. So to place the little “guru” above him, Shiva placed Murugan on his shoulder. Now he whispered the profound, secret meaning of "AUM" into his father's ear. Shiva placed his fingers over his mouth to hide his smile and welcome his son’s superiority.

Because of this pivotal event, Lord Murugan at this temple is revered as Swaminatha Swami—literally meaning "The Lord (Natha) who is the Guru of Shiva (Swami, referring to Shiva)."

The temple is about 5 km from the city of Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. 

A key architectural feature is that the shrine of Swaminatha Swami is built atop a small, man-made hillock (known as Kattalai), symbolizing the spot where Murugan imparted the sacred knowledge to his father, who pretended to be ignorant to share a father-son moment.

The Anahata chakra is said to be related to the Shiva-Sakthi union of which Skanda is the fruit, and to the Vayu element.

5. Thiruthani 

The fifth of the six abodes is Thanigai, a name derived from the Tamil word meaning "to cool down" or "to pacify." Following the fierce Surasamharam battle, it was on this sacred hill that Lord Murugan's intense fury finally abated, allowing him to reclaim his inner peace. Due to this state of complete serenity, the Surasamharam ritual is not re-enacted at the temple. Thanigai is also celebrated as the site where Murugan successfully wooed and married Valli. The temple is located near Chennai.

6. Pazhamudircholai 

This is the sixth sacred abode of Lord Murugan. Its central legend recounts the divine humbling of the esteemed Tamil poetess, Avvaiyar.

While resting beneath a Jamun tree (Naval maram), Avvaiyar was playfully tested by a young shepherd boy—Murugan in disguise. He offered her a choice between 'Sutta pazham' (hot/roasted) or 'Sudatha pazham' (unhot/unroasted) fruit. Choosing the "unhot" fruit, Avvaiyar was confounded when the boy shook the tree, causing the ripe Jamun fruits to fall into the sand. As she blew on them to remove the grit, the boy's teasing question—"Is the fruit hot, Grandmother?"—shattered her intellectual pride.

In that moment, Avvaiyar recognized the boy's divine wisdom and her own limitation, famously concluding that all her learned knowledge was but "a handful of sand." She bowed, acknowledging him as Lord Murugan.

Unique among the Six Abodes, Murugan is worshipped here alongside both his consorts, Valli and Devasena. The temple is situated on a hillock near Madurai, graced by the sacred stream known as Nupura Gangai.

“Pazhamudircholai” translates to “the stream where ripe fruits naturally fall”.  The presence of both consorts, breaking the norms of age, and the legend associated with “ripe fruit” fits the Ajna chakra in all respects.

Skanda Lok

Apart from the Aru Padai Veedu, the concept of Skanda Lok is associated with Muruga. I believe that this means that once your Sadhana has ripened, you turn your third eye inward (or upward) to find the ultimate nature of Skanda inside you - achieving Sahasrara.

Kukke Subrahmanya (Karnataka) 

The temple's fame rests on a powerful legend marking the Mahasamadhi of Kartikeya. 

It is situated at the foot of the Kumara Parvatha mountain. The local name, 'Kukke,' comes from the cave (Guha) where the serpent king Vasuki performed a severe penance to seek protection from Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu.

After successfully defeating the demon Tarakasura, Lord Murugan arrived at the mountain with his brother, Ganesha. He appeared before Vasuki, assuring him of protection. Due to this divine intervention, the deity here is specifically revered as the protector of the Nagas, making the temple the primary destination for rituals intended to counteract Naga Dosha.

While detailed official histories might be sparse, the Kukke Subrahmanya Temple is known within spiritual circles as an exceptionally powerful and consecrated center for the worship of Kartikeya. This highlights its connection to the ancient Indian tradition of creating sacred spaces with immense spiritual energy. The site's prominence is deeply rooted in this tradition, drawing devotees seeking both spiritual and material well-being.

Shree Basaveshwara Temple, Basavanamoola

Close to the Kukke main temple is the Basaveshwara temple. The uniqueness here comes from the Shivling appearing on the forehead of Nandi. It is believed that Shiva and Nandi appeared here before Kumara to impart the divine “Nandividya” knowledge to help him at war. 

Sri Vidya devotees would recognize that “Nandividya” is one of Devi’s names in Lalitha Sahasranama. Another significant name is “Guhamba”  - the mother of the one who took penance in caves or the mother of “Guha” (another name of Skanda).

A Warrior's Samadhi 

Skanda, a great warrior, was known to be an "angry man" due to his perception of injustice in the world until his temperament was softened by his association with Sage Agastya. Skanda performed his Samadhi (the conscious process of leaving the physical body) while standing up. Sadhguru describes this as an "extraordinary" and "tremendous" feat, as yogis typically seek a seated, stable posture to dismantle their life energies.

Sadhguru describes Kumara Parvat, the site of Skanda's Samadhi, as one of the most energetically invigorating places he has encountered. The mountain's unique power is reflected in the Shanmuka Lingas, the naturally six-faced pebbles found there. If you are receptive enough, you find that these stones possess such intense energy.

The energy's potency is evident in Sadhguru’s personal experience. When he camped on the mountain, his body was unable to sit or rest, continually "springing up and standing," which he felt was a direct reflection of the standing posture in which Skanda consciously shed his body.

Coda

Thirupparankundram centers on Muruga's wedding, while Thiruchendur details his pre- and post-battle encampment. Palani showcases Muruga's renunciation and Idumban's devotion. Swamimalai highlights his role as Shiva's guru. Thiruthani signifies the abatement of his anger. Pazhamudircholai presents the Avvaiyar tale. Kukke Subrahmanya completes the set. 

Guardian of Tamilagam

Skanda Kumara is believed to have never left “Tamilagam”, considering all the current South Indian states were part of this “Sangam” region. He dissolved deep into the realm. He is the guardian of the Tamil culture, knowledge, and spirituality. 

If you travel through Tamil Nadu terrains, you would come across small hills, even in not-so-hilly areas. And if you notice a temple atop a hill, it is probably of Murugan. An old Tamil saying, "Kundru Irukkum Idamellam Kumaran Iruppan," notes that wherever there is a hill, there is Murugan.