This Deity of the spiritual path is held in highest regard by the Tamil people, who call Him Murugan, meaning “beautiful.” Thousands of His temples dot the landscape of South India and Sri Lanka–and in modern times, everywhere the Tamil people have migrated, including England, Germany, Fiji, Australia, America, Canada, Malaysia and France. Skanda, as Murugan is called in the Vedas, was born of a red spark from Supreme God Siva’s third eye. It contains spiritual and practical information on the pilgrimage to serve as inspiration for devotees of Lord Murugan to set out upon it and tips for a successful journey. This Educational Insight has been developed from their collective experience. In December, 2006, his successor, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, continued the tradition, sending three monks from his Hawaii monastery, including one of the magazine’s editors, to South India for the pilgrimage.
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, founder of Hinduism Today, sent a number of his monks on this sacred pilgrimage in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. The fact that this sequence is far from geographically convenient is part of the austerity that comes with any true pilgrimage. The destinations of this journey are first Tirupparankundram, then Tiruchendur, followed by Palani, Swamimalai, Tiruttani and finally Palamuthirsolai. For those who seek His blessings for the upward climb of kundalini, the aru-pa-dai-vee-du, meaning “six encampments, ” is the pilgrimage of choice. But those who really want to get Murugan’s attention set out on an unforgettable journey, one both within and without. The devotee who seeks the darshan of Lord Murugan, the Tamils’ most beloved God, no doubt finds Him at all of His temples.
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