Also called as Karthikeya, Skanda, Subramanya, Shanmugam and many other names

Lord Murugan is one of the most important and popular deities in Hindu mythology, especially among the Tamil Hindus. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and the brother of Lord Ganesha. He is also known as Kartikeya, Skanda, Subramanya, Shanmukha, Saravana, Kumara, and many other names. He is the god of war, victory, wisdom, and youth. He is worshipped as the commander of the gods’ army and the slayer of demons.

The significance of Lord Murugan in Hindu mythology can be understood from various aspects, such as his origin, his family, his attributes, his legends, and his worship. Here are some points to summarize them:

• His origin: Lord Murugan born from six sparks that emerged from Lord Shiva’s third eye and were carried by the fire god Agni to six women called Krittikas. He had six heads and twelve arms, and was raised by the Krittikas as their son.
• His family: Lord Murugan is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, who are two of the three supreme deities in Hinduism along with Lord Vishnu. He is also the brother of Lord Ganesha, who is the god of wisdom, success, and obstacle removal. He has two wives: Valli and Devasena, who are incarnations of Lakshmi and Saraswati, the consorts of Vishnu and Brahma respectively. He also has many companions and associates, such as his mount peacock, his weapon spear (vel), his banner cock, his generals Veerabahu and Nandi, his devotees Idumban and Bhogar, etc.
• His attributes: Lord Murugan is depicted as a handsome and youthful god with six heads and twelve arms, holding various weapons and symbols of power. He rides on a peacock, which symbolizes piety and subjugation of all negative tendencies. He holds a spear (vel), which symbolizes wisdom and divine grace. He wears a red or yellow robe, which symbolizes auspiciousness and vitality. He has a cock on his banner, which symbolizes courage and alertness. He is also associated with the elements of fire and water, which symbolize energy and purity.
• His legends: Lord Murugan has many stories and legends associated with him in Hindu mythology. Some of them are: his birth from six sparks; his killing of Tarakasura; his contest with Ganesha for a fruit of wisdom; his marriage with Valli and Devasena; his war with Surapadma; his visit to Palani; his teaching to sage Agastya; etc. These stories illustrate his various roles as a warrior, a lover, a teacher, a protector, a renunciant, etc.
• His worship: Lord Murugan is widely worshipped by Hindus all over the world, especially in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, etc. He has six main abodes (Arupadai Veedu) in Tamil Nadu: Thiruthani, Swamimalai, Palani, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparankunram, and Thiruchendur. He also has many other temples dedicated to him in various places. His worship involves various rituals and practices such as climbing hills or steps to reach his temples; shaving heads or carrying kavadis as vows; offering milk or fruits or flowers or coins or jewels to him; chanting hymns or songs or mantras in praise of him; performing abhishekam (ritual bathing) or archanai (offering flowers) or arati (waving lamps) to him; etc.

Here is a story of Palani Temple in Tamil Nadu

The Palani temple of Lord Murugan is one of the most famous and sacred shrines of the Hindu god of war, wisdom and youth. It is located on a hill called Palani Hills in the city of Palani in Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the six abodes (Arupadai Veedu) of Lord Murugan, where he is worshipped as Dhandayuthapani, the lord who holds a staff (danda) in his hand.

The temple is believed to have been built by the sage Bhogar, who was a disciple of Agastya, one of the seven sages (Saptarishi) of Hinduism. Bhogar made the idol of Lord Murugan from nine poisonous substances (navabashana), which have miraculous healing properties. The idol is said to be very powerful and unique in the world.

The temple has a rich history and legend associated with it. According to one legend, Lord Murugan came to Palani after losing a contest with his brother Ganesha for a fruit of wisdom. He renounced his family and worldly possessions and settled on the hill as a hermit. His parents, Shiva and Parvati, came to pacify him and said “Pazham Nee” (You are the fruit), which gave the name Palani to the place.

According to another legend, Lord Murugan was once married to Devasena and Valli, who were incarnations of Lakshmi and Saraswati, the consorts of Vishnu and Brahma respectively. However, he left them and came to Palani as a bachelor, to teach a lesson to Indra, the king of gods, who had insulted him. He also wanted to test the devotion of his wives, who followed him to Palani and reunited with him.

The temple attracts millions of devotees every year, especially during festivals such as Thai Poosam, Panguni Uthiram, Kanda Sashti, Karthigai Deepam, Thaipongal, Tamil New Year and Diwali. The devotees offer various forms of worship to Lord Murugan, such as climbing the 670 steps to reach the temple, shaving their heads, carrying milk pots or kavadis (wooden structures with metal hooks), chanting hymns and songs, performing abhishekam (ritual bathing) and archanai (offering flowers), donating money and jewels, etc.

The temple also has many architectural and artistic features, such as gopurams (towers), mandapams (halls), sculptures, paintings, etc. The temple has four gopurams: the Rajagopuram at the foot of the hill, the Raja Gopuram at the top of the hill, the Thiru Avinankudi Gopuram at the base of the hill and the Periya Gopuram at the entrance of the temple. The temple also has several mandapams, such as the Golden Car Mandapam, where the golden chariot of Lord Murugan is kept; the Navaranga Mandapam, where the devotees can have a darshan (view) of Lord Murugan; the Valli Kalyana Mandapam, where the marriage ceremony of Lord Murugan and Valli is performed; etc.

The temple also has many sculptures and paintings depicting various scenes from Hindu mythology and legends related to Lord Murugan. Some of them are: the sculpture of Bhogar worshipping Lord Murugan; the sculpture of Idumban carrying two hills on his shoulders; the painting of Lord Murugan receiving a fruit from Narada; the painting of Lord Murugan killing Tarakasura