As per Hindu mythology, the hillock was carried by Idumban from Kailasha on the orders of sage Agastya and was made to place it at the current location at Palani by Murugan.

Accepting the challenge, Murugan started his journey around the globe on his peacock mount but his brother Ganesha surmised that the world was no more than his parents Shiva and Shakti combined, circumambulated them and won the fruit.

Knowing this, Murugan was furious as he felt cheated and chose to live a life as a hermit in Palani hills.

The temple is synonymous with Panchamritam, a sweet mixture made of five ingredients, offered as a prasadam, which is a listed Geographical Indication.

Once all sages and gods assembled in Kailasha, the abode of Shiva, which resulted in the tilting of earth due to an increase in weight on one hemisphere.

[1] Tī'eḻuntaṉṉa tiṟaliṉar tīppaṭa urumiṭit taṉṉa kuraliṉar viḻumiya uṟukuṟai maruṅkil tampeṟu muṟaikoṇmār antarak koṭpiṉar vantu uṭaṉkāṇa tā'il koḷkai maṭantaiyoṭu cilnāl āviṉaṉkuṭi acaitalum uriyaṉ, atāṉṟu The location is mentioned as Thiruaavinankudi in the Sangam literature Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai.

The name Pothini was derived from Tamil language phrase "Pon-udai-nedu-nagar" meaning the big town with gold, which later became Palani.

[3] As per Patiṟṟuppattu, chieftain Velavikkopaduman had matrimonial relations with the Cheras, who ruled the region from the late first century CE.

Poet Ilangiranar mentions the Chera king Mantaram Cheral Irumporai, who ruled the region during the period.

One night, a king of the Chera Dynasty, who controlled the region between the second and fifth centuries CE, took refuge at the foot of the hills.

The sanctum of the temple is of early Dravidian architecture while the covered ambulatory that runs around it bears traces of Pandyan influence.

[5] The idol of the deity is said to be made of an amalgam of nine poisonous substances which forms an eternal medicine when mixed in a certain ratio.

The idol represents the god Murugan as Dhandapani, a form he assumed while at Palani, being that of a young recluse, shorn of his hair, dressed in a loincloth and armed only with a staff (dhandam) as a monk.

[5] The original idol was believed to have been wearing away or dissolving, by virtue of its repeated anointment and ritual bathing but priests of the temple maintain that they perceive no visible change.

As Hinduism forbids the worship of an imperfect idol, suggestions have been made, at various points of time, to replace it, cover it, or stop some of the rituals, which could have resulted in its erosion.

Based on research from IIT Madras, it was found that the replacement idol actually weighed 221 kg (487 lb) and did not contain the required amounts of the metals specified, particularly gold.

[21][22][23] The pujas are accompanies by traditional musical instruments and tolling of the heavy bell on the hill, to rouse the attention of devotees.

An idol of the lord, called the Uthsavamoorthy, is carried in state around the temple, in a golden chariot, drawn by devotees, most evenings in a year.

[26] Panchamritam (mixture of five) is a divine mix made of banana, honey, ghee, jaggery and cardamom along with date fruits and Sugar candies.

[31] Tonsuring is one of the major traditions of the temple, with devotees performing the ritual to fulfill a vow to discard their hair in imitation of the form that Murugan assumed here.

The paste, upon being allowed to stay overnight, is said to acquire special properties, and is distributed to devotees, as prasadam (rakkāla chandaṇam).

Thaipusam is the most important festival at Palani, is celebrated on the full moon day of the Tamil Month of Thai.

In the simplest form, it consists of two semicircular pieces of wood or steel which are bent and attached to a cross structure, that is balanced on the shoulders of the devotee.

Pilgrims often take a strict vow of abstinence for 48 days, come barefoot, by walk, from distant places, bathe in the temple tank and go atop the hill.