The six abodes › Abode 5
Padai Veedu 5 of 6
A hill temple about 85 km from Chennai, where Murugan's anger after the battle grew calm, and where he married Valli. The closest abode for pilgrims from the north.
After the battle with Soorapadman, Murugan came to this hill and his anger cooled. Thanigai means calm, and the place came to be called Thiruthani.
Here he also married Valli, the daughter of a hill tribe chief, whom he had courted in the forests nearby. Thiruthani is the abode of Murugan at peace, with both his consorts.
Tradition also holds that Murugan taught the Tamil language to the sage Agastya on this hill.
| Temple opens | 5:45 AM |
|---|---|
| Viswaroopa darshan | 6:00 AM |
| Doors close | 9:00 PM |
| Weekdays | short |
|---|---|
| Weekends | an hour or more in the free queue |
| Aadi Krithigai | many hours |
Last checked 15 Nov 2026 · Official HR&CE site
General darshan is always free. Paid tickets shorten the wait or let you attend a pooja.
| Ticket | Cost | What you get | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|
| General darshan | Free | The free queue. Can be long. | Just join the queue. |
| Special entrance | ₹100 | A faster queue. Price as shown on the counter sign at the temple. Cheaper paid queues have also been reported. | Counter 1, on the hilltop. |
| Special darshan during abhishekam | ₹150 | Watch the abhishekam without an abhishekam ticket. | At the counter. |
| Panchamrutha abhishekam | ₹1,500 | Up to 2 people. Usually around 8 AM, 12 noon and 5 PM. | At the counter, 1–2 days ahead. Online booking is often unavailable. |
| Kalyana utsavam | ₹2,000 | The divine wedding ceremony, performed for devotees. | At the counter. |
| Thanga kavasam | ₹500 | The deity dressed in golden armour. | At the counter. |
Prices as listed by travel guides. Check the Thiruthani temple's HR&CE site before visiting.
Prices change, and are higher on festival days. Last checked 15 Nov 2026.
The tonsure hall is on the way up the hill and works from about 6 AM to 4 PM.
Free since 2021. Take the official receipt and decline other charges.
Paal kavadi and flower kavadi are carried up the steps, especially for Aadi Krithigai.
No ticket.
Couples pray here for a happy marriage, and Kalyana utsavam can be booked.
₹2,000 for Kalyana utsavam.
Chanting of the Lord's names with your name and birth star. A board at the temple offers archanai in Tamil (தமிழில் அர்ச்சனை).
Small fee at the counter.
Moderate: steps or road
You can climb the 365 steps or go up the ghat road by car or the Devasthanam bus. Elderly and disabled devotees should take the road; there is still some walking at the top.
The Devasthanam has cottages and rooms close to the temple. Many pilgrims come as a day trip from Chennai.
The temple runs annadhanam. Vegetarian hotels are near the foothill and in Thiruthani town.
Coming soon: the places we stay and eat on our own visit.
Tiruttani station is on the Chennai–Arakkonam–Tirupati line, with suburban trains from Chennai Central.
Chennai airport is about 2 hours by road.
About 85 km from Chennai on the Chennai–Tirupati highway. Frequent buses from Chennai, Kanchipuram and Tirupati.
| Aadi Krithigai | Aadi (Jul–Aug). The biggest festival here, with kavadi and a float festival. |
|---|---|
| Steps festival | 31 December. Devotees sing on every step to welcome the new year. |
| Kanda Sashti | Aippasi (Oct–Nov). |
| Thaipoosam | Thai (Jan–Feb). |