Thiruthani

After the war against Surapadman, after his marriages and his teachings, Murugan came to the Thiruthani hill for repose. In the valley below the hill, a Veda hunter-tribe kept its settlement, and the hunters' fields of millet needed protection from birds. The tribal chief's daughter Valli was sent every day to guard the field. She sat in the centre of the millet, clapping and singing to drive the birds away, and in her solitude she would think of Murugan — the divine lord whom she had loved, formlessly, since childhood. Murugan, watching from his hill, felt that love like a tug. He came down disguised as an old man and approached her. He told her he was cold and hungry and asked her to take him in. Valli refused — she was a young girl alone, and this old man was a stranger. Murugan persisted with the wordplay and the charm of the besotted disguised divine. She remained unmoved. Then Murugan summoned his brother. Ganesha appeared from the trees in the form of a maddened wild elephant, crashing through the undergrowth, charging at Valli. She screamed and ran — directly into the arms of the old man, pressing close, begging for protection. Murugan held her and shed his disguise. The god stood before her in his full radiance: his youthful face, his peacock, his vel, his crown. Valli, who had loved him in her heart her whole life, recognised what she had always known. They were married on the Thiruthani hill. The tribal chief gave his blessing. The girl who had guarded a millet field from the birds became the bride of the lord who had defeated the armies of the cosmos.

Thiruthani's sacred status is attested in the Tirumurugaṟṟuppaṭai (c. 2nd century CE), which names it among Murugan's six abodes. Tevaram saints of the Bhakti period composed hymns here, and Arunagirinathar (c. 15th century CE) composed Thirupugazh verses specific to this temple. The site is historically significant as both a major Murugan shrine and a waypoint on the ancient pilgrimage corridor between Chennai (Madras) and Tirupati — positioned on the route that devotees have traveled for centuries between the two great temples of South India. The temple atop the granite hill has been the subject of periodic renovation and expansion under various dynasties and later under the Madras Presidency administration. Its proximity to what is now Chennai has made it one of the most heavily attended Arupadaiveedu temples among urban pilgrims from the metropolitan region. The 365 steps to the hilltop are a well-known feature and a regular physical practice for Chennai devotees. The temple is currently administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Note: The manifest records this temple's city as 'Thiruvallur'; the temple is located in the town of Thiruthani (Tiruttani), within Thiruvallur district — a distinction flagged for manifest correction.