Thiruparankundram and its hill contains some of the earliest
Hindu temples of
Tamil Shaivite tradition in this region. The hill itself is sacred to the Hindus, and is known as Kandhamalai ("hill of
Kandha"). The early cave temple at the northern foot of the hill was greatly expanded in stages over the years. Various shrines,
Mandapas, a feeding house, a Vedic school, and centers for performance of traditional arts, were established from the 7th to 16th century CE by various Hindu dynasties, which later became part of the
Thirupparamkunram Murugan temple complex. It is one of the
Six Abodes of Murugan (Arupadaiveedu), a major pilgrimage site, and is among the most visited tourist places in Madurai. Hindu pilgrims circumambulate around the entire Thiruparankundram hill given the presence of the various religious monuments here. During the 18th century CE, the Murugan temple's mandapas and infrastructure were used as civic hospitals by the Hindus and an outpost of Madurai where soldiers gathered during times of war. Later, the European regiments aided by
Hyder Ali and Yusuf Khan targeted the temple during the war between the
British and the
French, which later became part of the
Madras Presidency. While the hill and the surrounding areas, which hosts several Hindu temples, Jain relics, and a dargah, has seen coexistence of various religious practices over the years, it been a subject of occasional dispute since the early 20th century. ==Demographics==