A Pilgrimage Planner to One Among Six Bastion (Six Holy Shrines) of Lord Muruga. The Icon of Lord Dhandayudhapani in the famous Hill Temple at Palani, India is sculpted with unique Navabhashana (Nine Deadly Poisons) Amalgam. St. Bhogar, a Siddha, achieved this Alchemy.
Palani. This is considered to be one of the holiest places in India. The famous and the oldest Lord Dhandayudhapani temple is located at Palani, near Madurai, one of the prime pilgrimage centers of Tamil Nadu. This temple is among the six sacred bastions (Aaru Padai veedu) of Lord Muruga – Tiruchendur (Sea shore temple near Thirunelveli), Thirupparankunram (temple near Madurai), Palani hill temple (hill temple in Dindigal district), Swami Malai (hill temple near Kumbakonam), Thiruthanigai (hill temple in near Chennai) and Pazhamudhir Solai (hill temple near Madrai) in Tamil Nadu.
The worshipers of Lord Muruga are available in all the parts of the world. Most of the Hindus in India have a deep faith in Lord Muruga, particularly from the South India covering the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This hill temple has become the favorite destination for pilgrimage for almost all Hindus in India. Daily you can find lots of devotees come here as pilgrimage to pay their homage to Lord Muruga. Thai pusam (English month January) and Panguni Uthiram (English month March) are the two important festivals celebrated with grandeur. The millions of pilgrims come to Palani and the temple remains open through out the day during this period. During the festivals the pilgrims take vow to cross the distance by walk and bring kavadi (two pots filled with holy water or milk and tied with a long pole on either side. The devotees bear pole on their shoulder) and on reaching foot hill they tonsure their head.
Palani is well connected by road from all the main cities of Tamil Nadu – Coimbatore or Madurai or Tiruchy. The buses are available from Coimbatore or Madurai or Tiruchy at around every 15 minutes. You have to travel around three to four hours from Coimbatore or Madurai or Tiruchy to Palani. The bus drops you at the town near hill temple and then, you are required to climb the mountain to reach the hill temple located at an elevation of 1550 feet. You can either travel by the rope way cable cars or winch cars plying between foot hill and the hill temple or climb through steps on your feet. You can worship Lord Muruga in any one of the six Kala Pooja (six times a day).
The prime deity at Palani hill is Lord Dhandayudhapani. The hill temple is considered as very ancient one. The Siddhas (Tamil sages) like Agathiyar, Bhogar, Thirumoolar and Saint Arunagirinathar worshiped Lord Muruga. The place is mentioned in Kandha Puranam, Thrumurugatruppadai, and Thirupugazh. The Siddhar Bhogar was believed to have visited Palani and was attracted by its charm. He wanted to establish a temple for Lord Muruga. He applied his yogic power and knowledge of alchemy and developed the amalgam using nine deadly poisons and it is known as “Navabhashana”. The icon of the prime deity Lord Dhandayudhapani (sculpted using Navabhashana amalgam – unique in the world) in his standing pose with a baton (Dhandam = Note the name Dhandapani holder of Dhandam) and wearing just loin cloth. He is considered as young kid and he is observing penance. The meanings of the Tamil world Murugu are “Young and Beauty”.and “wisdom”.
The Siddhar Bhogar also found the ways and means of worshiping Lord Dhandayudhapani. The sage wanted to subside the venom contained in the icon and hence advised the devotees to pour milk and Panchamrutham (a kind of fruit jam preserved in sugar, honey, ghee and spices) all over the deity (Abhishekam). Once the milk and Panchamrutham are in contact with the unique amalgam they obtain their own medicinal properties. It is believed that milk and Panchamrutham It is believed that if milk and Panchamrutham consumed as prasadam after Abhishekam would cure major chronic illness. You can find the tomb of Saint Bhogar in side the temple.
Panchamrutham is supposed to the mixture of five amrutha (nectar). Amrutha and poison are diagonally opposite to each other. The principle of Siddha medicine is if negligible quantity of poison mixed with amrutha will become the medicine. One should taste this Panchamrutham during his life time. The devotees have learned the art of preparing Panchamrutham.
Recipe: Panchamrutham
Ingredients:
- Plantain (Banana – Hill variety) 50 Nos
- Sugar (Jaggery Powder) 05 Kg
- Sugar candy (Kalkandu) 00.500 Kg.
- Date fruit 00.500 Kg.
- Dry Grapes 00.500 Kg.
- Cardamom 00.010 Kg.
- Honey 00.500 Kg.
- Ghee 00.250 Kg.
Method:
Nine easy Steps. No cooking or boiling involved. Take care not to touch the mix in your hand. Try to use wooden lad.
- The plantain fruit is a special variety (cultivated around Western ghat hills) meant for preparation of Panchamrutham. Take a large vessel. peel off the plantain.
- Crush the plantain with wooden lad in fine batter.
- Now mix the sugar (Jaggery Powder) and Sugar candy (Kalkandu) and mix it well. No sugar lump should be present.
- Remove seeds from date and cut into small pieces. Add the date fruit into the mix.
- Similarly crush the dry grapes into small pieces and add the fruit into the mix.
- Crush the cardamom into coarse powder and the spice into the mix.
- Now filter honey in sieve and add into the mix.
- Finally add ghee in the mix.
- Now stir all the ingredients till it becomes like a jam.
Your tasty Panchamrutham is ready. You preserve it in your refrigerator. It will not get spoiled even for months.
