Six Sacred Temples of Lord Muruga
Karu Jeyakumar <sambaviSPAMFILTER@srividya.org>
Friday October 29 2004
Aru padai veedu or Aarupadai veedu or Arupadaiveedu - all these terms refer to the six sacred temples of Hindu God Lord Karthikeya - also known as Lord Muruga, Shanmuga, Guhan, Skanda, Subramanya and Kumara.
- All these temples are located in South India - in the state of Tamil
Nadu.Though there are thousands of temples for the Hindu god Lord Muruga -
around the globe, these six specific temples enjoy unparalled sanctity and
populaity among the devotees of Muruga or Balasubramanya - and deserve a very
special mention. These six temples that constitute the Arupadai veedu group of
shrines are:
- Thiruparamkunram Subramanya Swami Temple
- Tiruchendur Sendhil Andavar Temple
- Swamimalai Swaminatha Swami Temple
- Palani Dandayudhapani Swamy Temple
- Tiruthani Subramanya Swamy Temple and
- Palamudhircholai Subramanya Swamy Temple.
- The origins of these temples go back by more than 2000 years. We find
references to these temples in many of the ancient tamil language literatures
like Silapathikaram.
- These six places are considered to be the battle camps of Lord Muruga
(Skandha). The term padai veedu - in Tamil- means Battle camp. Aru padai veedu
means six battle camps. The six places are believed to be six different battle
camps of Lord Muruga. We find that interesting legends and puranas are
associated with each of these temples of Kumara (Lord Muruga).
- Ancient tamil work Thirumurugatupadai - sung by tamil saint poet Nakkerar in
1st century AD, hails each of these six places with prominance and importance.
The poems also reveal that all of these temples were well established even
during the sangam age (1st to 3rd century AD) - which only pushes the origins of
these temples to periods before christ (BC).
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