Since the DMK govt came to power, 3,386 temples, including 131 Murugan temples in places such as Palani, Thiruchendur, Thirupparankundram, and Vadapalani, have been restored.

Lord Murugan's symbolic importance is not new in TN. Last year, the DMK government organised a global conference on Murugan to showcase him as a secular cultural icon of the Tamil diaspora.