New Delhi: Does the Hindu god Murugan ‘belong’ to Tamis or Telugus? One line on the poster of Jr NTR-starrer God of War has reopened a centuries-old debate over Murugan’s origins. The phrase “Born in North, forged in the Heartland, worshipped in the South” has angered many Tamils, who argue the deity is inseparable from Tamil history.
Jr NTR shared the poster of the film on X on Monday.
The Son of Shiva.
The Pride of Parvathi.
The Eternal Commander.
And, once again with TRIVIKRAM.#NTRxTrivikram pic.twitter.com/oIW7o4PETu
— Jr NTR (@tarak9999) June 29, 2026
In Tamil Nadu, Murugan is commonly referred to as Tamizh Kadavul, the god of the Tamil people. Many claim that the deity’s roots, history and identity are inseparable from ancient Sangam literature and Tamil identity.
Reacting on the internet, many Tamils have described it as a deliberate attempt by the makers and Jr NTR to culturally appropriate and misrepresent their native deity for pan-India commercial success.
“Ask how many north Indians take kavadi or had alagu kuthu for lord Murugan?these jr ntr and many telugu heros fetish of taking north indian belt esp Bihar, Orissa, Haryana Uttar Pradesh fan base gone to next level for showing box office collections,” one user wrote.
Ask how many north indians takes kavadi or had alagu kuthu for lord Murugan?these jr ntr and many telugu heros fetish of taking north indian belt esp Bihar orissa hariyana uttarpradesh fan base gone to next level for showing box office collections so they take BJP weapon of…
— knaz🐘 (@knazjohn) June 30, 2026
“For countless Tamils, Murugan is inseparable from Tamil culture and heritage. If you don’t have a legacy of your own, at least have the honesty to acknowledge instead of trying to claim it as your own,” wrote another.
Then suddenly you ask, "Is Tamil greater, or is Murugan greater?" . For countless Tamils, Murugan is inseparable from Tamil culture and heritage.
If you don't have a legacy of your own, at least have the honesty to acknowledge instead of trying to claim it as your own.
— ANBARASAN (@anbu_aarush) June 30, 2026
The Telugu side, or the makers’ side of the debate, is framing the deity within the broader Hindu Puranic tradition, designing the film in a way that sweeps the localised Tamil narrative into a pan-India framework. According to many Telugu users on the internet, Murugan is the son of Shiva and Parvati and was born in the Himalayas.
“Murugan is god for Tamil but not Tamil god,” one user tweeted.
Murugan is God for Tamils
But he’s not Tamil God. pic.twitter.com/0ft8qGErec
— appie 🎀 (@fizz_nandamuri) June 30, 2026
Religious scholar Fred W. Clothey, in his 1978 book The Many Faces of Murugan, wrote that Tamil chauvinists see the god as having existed from the “oldest known Tamil moment.” He wrote that Murugan’s identity and history are welded into Tamil language and literature, and that in poetry he is even called the god of Tamil.
Politicians weigh in
The debate intensified further when Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) leader Seeman, who was once a follower of EV Ramasamy alias Periyar but is now an ardent follower of Murugan, reiterated his long-held belief that Murugan is the god of the Tamil people. After his transformation in 2018, Seeman was seen worshipping the deity outside his house and told the media that the Tamil deity had nothing to do with Hinduism.
When Jr NTR shared the film’s poster and tweeted, “The son of Shiva, the pride of Parvathi and the eternal commander,” Seeman warned the makers of severe consequences if they distorted the history of Lord Muruga Peruman.
“I warn that the film crew must immediately abandon their attempts to fabricate and impose fictional tales—such as claiming Lord Muruga was born in the northern plains—under the guise of art. Failure to do so will result in facing the most severe repercussions,” he said in a statement.
வணிகத்திற்காக தமிழர்களின் பெருமைமிகு அடையாளங்களில் கை வைப்பதை தமிழ்ப்பிள்ளைகள் நாங்கள் இனியும் வேடிக்கை பார்த்துக்கொண்டு இருக்க மாட்டோம்.
ஆகவே, முருகப்பெருமான் வடபுலத்தில் பிறந்தார் என்பது போன்ற கட்டுக்கதைகளை உருவாக்கி அவற்றை கலை என்ற பெயரில் திரித்துத் திணிக்க முயல்வதை,…
— செந்தமிழன் சீமான் (@Seeman4TN) July 5, 2026
He further said that the Tamil race, with a mythic history stretching back more than fifty thousand years, possesses its own distinct art, literature, culture, civilisation, way of life, philosophical doctrines and divine worship traditions.
“Other races, lacking their own distinct identities, cultural elements, worship methods or divine traditions, have stolen and appropriated as their gods the Tamil forebears’ Sivan, Murugan, Kannan, Thirumal, Kotravai and all the rest,” the statement added.
Others, he said, turned gods who dwelt in Tamil landscapes into Puranic characters.
“As a result, they turned Murugan into Subramanya, Kannan into Krishna, Thirumal into Vishnu, Kotravai into Parvati and Sivan into Rudra. They transformed the Tamil forebears wholesale into Puranic characters. We are the children of the race that even lent out its gods,” the statement read.
(Edited by Stela Dey)