Description
Tamil Nadu is famous for ancient temples and shrines that nurtures and preserves old traditions of Hindu religion in the purest form. Rathinagiri B?la Murugan Temple is a 14th-century temple that brings the peculiarities of old sculpture and architecture. Though there have been many changes over the period. From an ordinary structure of sand, now it is a magnificent piece of artwork in stone.
History
It is said that Lord Murugan always resides on hills. The Rathnagiri temple has literary evidence in the prose of poet Arunagirinatha who is believed to have lived in the 14th century. He referred the temple as �the residence of Lord Murugan who sits on the hill of Rathnagiri�. According to Hindu mythology, god is omnipresent, but he proves his existence in the material form. He is there in an idol, he is there in a guru, and he is there in a devotee. Hence, everyone has a reflection of god inside. The temple underlines the fact in the form of a belief that entire hill is a symbol of Lord Murugan.
Importance/Significance
In 1968, Balmurugan Aadimai who is the main inspiration behind renovation of this temple, went atop the hill with the intention of offering Pooja. However, to his dismay there was no facility of offering any kind of Pooja in the temple. It was a completely isolated and neglected place. He felt incredibly bad about it and decided to change the face of the shrine. Since then, there are phenomenal changes in the place, and now it is one of the biggest temples of Tamil Nadu.
Facts/Mythology
Lord Murugan or Karthikeyan is a well-known figure in Hindu mythology. He is believed to be the son of Lord Siva and has supreme powers. Some texts believe that he was a child born from the womb of Devi Parvathi. Whereas, some texts say that it is not the truth because Devi Parvathi had a curse from Rathi (wife of Kamdeva) that she would not give birth to any child. As per the legend, Tarkasura was a demon who asked for a blessing that only son of Lord Siva should be able to kill him. Tarkasura became invincible because of this curse. All gods approached Lord Siva and requested his help. Lord Siva and Devi Parvathi went in a cave and started meditating. A ball of fire emerged from the divine powers of both and turned into a ball of fire. Nobody was able to bear the energy and finally Devi Parvathi took it in her hand. The ball got converted into a child with six heads. Lord Karthikeya killed Tarakasur later. He is depicted as a young man with a dark complexion sitting on a peacock. He has a spear in his hand.
Festivals/Events/Gatherings
Skanda Shasthi is the most important and auspicious festival of the temple when thousands of people gather to pay their respect and devotion to Lord Murugan. In the month of July-August, Aadi Kruthukai is also celebrated with joy and enthusiasm.
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