Deities:
The presiding
deity here is Dhandayudapani.
The
principal image is in
the standing
posture of a young boy Murugan with a staff(Dhandam) in his
hand. The image is made of an amalgam of nine materials
known as Navapaashaanam
Legends:
Legend has it at the
celetial sage Naaradhar approached the
abode of Shiva, Mount Kailasam with the celestial
fruit of knowledge - Gnyanappazham. While both the sons of Shiva
wanted the fruit, Shiva and Parvathi decreed that the one to first
complete circumambulating the universe would get the celestial
fruit.
While
Subramanya mounted his peacock and went around the Universe,
Vinayakar circumambulated his parents Shiva and Parvathi on the
premise that Shiva and Parvathi stood for the Universe and thus
obtained the coveted celestial fruit.Angered by
this denial, Subramanya left Kailasam and took up his own abode at
Palani and refused to return to Kailasam. He then went on to take
up abodes on several of the Hills in the Tamil country leading to
the popular tamil phrase, "Kundru Thorum Kumaran".
There is yet
another legend associated with Palani. Agasthia munivar was
presented by Shiva with two mountain peaks called ‘Shivagiri’
and Shakthigiri’.Upon
Agasthiyar’s directiion, his disciple, Idumban tied the two
peaks to the ends of a big pole and carried them on his shoulders.
He paused to rest at palani where the hills got stuck to the
ground. On one of the peaks was Murugan with whom Idumban fought
to reclaim the hill.Idumban was
defeated and killed in the fight and upon being implored by
Agasthiyar was restored to life. Idumban requested Murugan to
allow him to be installed as the Dwarapalakan in the palani
temple. The Kaavadi form of worship originates from this legend.
A disciple
of Bhogasiddar is believed to have commenced worship in a small
shrine here. Cheramaan perumal(one of the 63 naayanmars and a
contemperory of Sundaramurthy nayanaar) is believed to have
contructed the sanctum.
