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Palani has been mentioned in the Tamil Sangam Literature as Podhini, which came to be called as Palani later. 

The vigraham of Palani Andavar is said to have been made of Navapashanam ( a combination of Veeram, Pooram, Rasam, Jathilingam, Kandagam, Gauri Pasanam, Vellai Pasanam, Mridharsingh, Silasat), by a siddhar called Bhogar. 

The History of Palani written by Balasubramania Kavirayar speaks about the glory of this place. This contains 23 chapters in 987 verses, and was written in 1628 AD. 

The story of Lord Muruga, why He left Kailasa and came to Palani, and how Palani got its name: Lord Siva and Goddess Parvathi are seated atop Mount Kailas. One day, Lord Narada comes and gifts them a celestial fruit. 

The two sons of Lord Siva, namely Ganapathy and Murugan, demand the entire fruit for themselves. Siva announces a competition and promises to give the fruit to the one who wins the test. 

The condition is they should go round the world and reach back first. Both agree to it and Ganapathy makes a circumambulation of His parents, reaches first, and wins the fruit. 

Murugan who goes on His peacock around the world reaches later and finds that Ganapathy has won the prize. He, therefore, gets disappointed and, renouncing the world, stands atop the Palani Hill. 

Siva and Parvathi come to Palani and pacify Murugan telling him “Muruga, you are yourself a divine fruit then why do you need a fruit?” Fruit, in Tamil, is called Pazham. Hence this place came to be called as Palani, as Muruga was addressed as “Pazham Nee – Pazhani or Palani”!

After installing Lord Murugan Navabashana idol at the Palani Hill, Bogar used to worship it with milk abisheka and Panchamirtham (a sweet recipe) abisheka.

 The deity of Palani is known as Dandayudhapani Swami, the Lord having the Staff in His Hand. The deity is in a standing position with a baton in his hand. 

He has the look of a person who has renounced all worldly pomp. He has just a loincloth besides the baton. He is a mute messenger of the great precept ‘renounce all to reach Me'. 

 The Palani temple has been constructed on the top of a hill. It is said that the temple was built by a Chera king.

The Palani Hill is 150 m in height. Devotees can reach the hilltop temple by climbing 693 steps, walking through a sloped path called the “elephant path”, by traveling in a winch or by a rope-way.

Panchamirtham is the special Prasadam item offered to Lord Murugan here. Panchamirtam, collected after abhisheka, is delicious and nourishing food.

Panchamirtham is prepared by this temple by mixing of proportionate quantities of banana , sugar, ghee, honey, seedless dates, cardamom and sugar candy. 

 In the first inner prahaaram, or ambulatory, around the heart of the temple, are two minor shrines, one each for Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, besides one for the sage Bhogar who is by legend credited with the creation and consecration of the main vigraham.

Temple address: Lord Dhandayuthapaniswamy temple,  Giri Veethi, Palani, Tamil Nadu 624601. 

Palani is about 120 km from Madurai, 70 km from Coimbatore and is well connected to other major cities of Tamil Nadu. Devotees can reach Palani by road or rail.

The sanctum of the temple is of early Chera architecture while the covered ambulatory that runs around it bears unmistakable traces of Pandya influence, especially in the form of the two fishes, the Pandyan royal insignia.