Palani

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Palani (Tamil: பழனி Palani [ paɻəni ]; earlier English Palni ) is a city in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Palani is an important pilgrimage of the popular in Tamil Nadu Hindu god Murugan, with around four million visitors a year, one of the most important pilgrimage destinations of south India. The population Palanis 70,000 ( 2011 census ).

Geography and transport

Palani is located in Dindigul district in the west of Tamil Nadu. The city is the administrative center of the taluks (sub - district ) Palani. The nearest major town is Dindigul district capital about 60 kilometers east. Madurai, the most important city in southern Tamil Nadu, located 120 kilometers south-east, to Chennai (Madras ), the capital of Tamil Nadu are there 480 km. The city is located in the plains at the foot of the Palani Hills, an up to 2500 meter high foothills of the Western Ghats, which begins south of Palani.

In Palani rises from the flat area of the two hills Sivagiri and Sakthigiri. In the former, there is the shrine of Murugan Palani. About two kilometers west of the city flows the river Shanmuganadi, a tributary of the Amravathi.

By Palani the National Highway 209 from Dindigul via Coimbatore to Bangalore. The city is connected by the railway line Dindigul - Coimbatore to the railway network. Currently, the route will be converted to broad gauge.

Religious significance

Under the name Tiruvavinankudi Palani is one of six places of pilgrimage ( Arupadaividu ) that are dedicated to the Hindu god Murugan ( Skanda ). During this God in the religious practice of North India plays virtually no role, he is under the name Murugan among the Tamils ​​of the most popular deities. The six places of pilgrimage are associated with different aspects of mythology Murugan. In Palani Murugan is worshiped in his form as Dandayudhapani ( bar support ) and shown as a youthful ascetic floor, loincloth and a shaved head. The Murugan Temple of Palani is located on the top of the Sivagiri Hill. In its center stands an idol Murugan, which is not done differently than usual in stone but should consist of nine metals from an amalgam. On the hill, a steep ascent, the summit can now also be reached by a cable car.

According to the myth Shiva is said to have his sons Murugan and Ganesha promised, the one who walk around the world first, get the fruit of wisdom as a reward. Murugan went on to circumnavigate the world, but once Ganesha circumambulating his parents Shiva and Parvati and summoned because in them the entire cosmos is contained, he had thus circled the globe. Shiva and Parvati were pleased with Ganesha's wisdom and gave him the fruit. Angered by this decision Murugan left his parents and settled at the foot of the mountain Sivagiri. There, found him Shiva and Parvati, who had gone in search of Murugan. Shiva tried to pacify him by saying, not the fruit that had received Ganesha, is the fruit of wisdom, but he was the fruit ( Palam nī "you're the fruit "). Therefore, the place wearing the name Palani.

The most important of the six places of pilgrimage Murugan Palani is one of the biggest Hindu pilgrimage places in Tamil Nadu and Tirupati and Sabarimala next to one of the most quite of South India. In 2011 Palani 5.8 million visitors. Alone for ten-day Thaipusam festival in January / February flock estimated 500,000 pilgrims to Palani.