Tirtha (sacred site) in central Tamil Nadu, ten miles
southwest of Madurai.
Tirupparankunram is home to one of Tamil Nadu's six temples
dedicated to Murugan, a hill god who was integrated into the pantheon as a
version of Skanda.
It is stated that it is here that he marries Devasena, the
bride handed to him by Indra and the gods after he has shown his mettle in
combat, and so marks his ascension into the greater pantheon.
The sixth is claimed to be every other Murugan shrine in
Tamil Nadu.
Five of these temples have been clearly recognized and are
distributed around the state.
Murugan's worship is therefore a symbol of Tamil pride and
identity, and since the number six connotes completeness—as in the six
directions or the six chakras in the subtle body—it also implies that nothing
more is required.
See Fred Clothey's article "Pilgrimage Centers in the
Tamil Cultus of Murukan" in the Journal of the American Academy of
Religion, Vol. 40, No. 1, 1972, for further details.
