Swaminathaswamy Temple, Swamimalai

Swaminathaswamy Temple at Swamimalai is dedicated to Murugan and is one of his Six Abodes (Arupadaiveedu). The main shrine stands on a small hill, reached by sixty steps, each named after one of the sixty years of the Tamil calendar. Shrines to Shiva (Sundareswarar) and Meenakshi stand at the foot of the hill. The image of Murugan stands holding a staff (danda).

Tradition

According to tradition, the young Murugan asked Brahma the meaning of the sacred syllable Om, and Brahma could not answer. When Shiva asked Murugan to explain it, Murugan taught the meaning to his own father. He is therefore called Swaminatha, "the teacher of the Lord", and his shrine stands above Shiva's.

Architecture

The temple has three gateway towers, the main one a five-tier tower on the south side, and three courtyards. Swamimalai is praised in the Sangam-era poem Tirumurukarruppadai by Nakkeerar and in the Thiruppugazh hymns of Arunagirinathar. Its consecration ceremony (Kumbabishegam) was last held in September 2015. Its main yearly festival is Vaikasi Visakam. It is administered by the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department.