Palani View

Palani is a town and a municipality in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, located about 100 km north-west of Madurai and 100 km South-east of Coimbatore and 60 km west of Dindigul. Palani and most of Dindigul district were part of the Kongu Nadu region of the Tamil country. The area was under the influence of the rulers of Coimbatore and Madurai, at various points of time. In the 18th century, Hyder Ali and his son, Tippu Sultan ruled over the place before being annexed the British after the Third Anglo-Mysore War. The Palani Murugan Temple dedicated to Hindu war God Kartikeya is situated on a hill overlooking the town. The temple is visited by more than 7 million pilgrims each year. References exist to the place in ancient Tamil devotional texts. According to Hindu mythology, Sage Narada once visited the celestial court of Lord Shiva at Mount Kailash to present to Him a fruit, the gyana-pazham.Palani is home to one of the most sacred shrines of the Lord Muruga.