Bogar the Alchemist:
Bogar was a legendary South Indian siddhar (a mystic or yogi). He was said to have miraculous powers. Bogar was a South Indian by birth, belonging to the goldsmith caste, who became a siddhapurusha (an ascetic who has achieved enlightenment) under the guidance of Kalanginaathar.
It is said that as per the last wishes of his guru, Bogar proceeded to China to spread the knowledge of siddha sciences. His journey is said to have been made with the aid of an aircraft; he demonstrated to the Chinese the details of the construction of the aircraft and later built for them a sea-going craft using a steam engine.
The details of these and other experiments demonstrated by Bogar in China are clearly documented in the Saptakanda (a manuscript in which he reveals details of various medicinal preparations and his experiments). Bogar’s guru, Kalanginaathar, is believed to be a Chinese who attained siddhi in South India and thus became included among the Eighteen Siddhars.
One of his creations was the famous Murugan deity made out of Navapashanam in Palani. He worshipped the idol at the Murugan temple. After attaining Nirvigalpa Samadhi – the highest samadhi stage; where the Mind dissolves with Matter and Energy, his disciple Pulippani Siddhar and his descendants maintained this practice.
Bogar’s Samadhi (resting place) is inside the hill temple of Palani, southwest of the sanctum sanctorum in a narrow, cave-like corridor. It is believed that there is an underground passage here that goes straight to the foot of the main deity, Lord Murugan. Bogar himself is believed to constructed this and before going into Nirvigalpa Samadhi here. He was last seen by his disciples at this entrance.
Navapashanam is one of the most acclaimed Siddha elixirs known to mankind. Nava means nine and Pashanam means poisonous substance. A dark hour, a dark age where people will suffer and die from many diseases never even known to mankind, has been predicted. Foreseeing this impending doom, the Siddhas assigned Bogar to develop a process by which people who embrace God in the form of Lord Murugan will be redeemed of their afflictions and be able to survive this dark phase.
So, Bogar decided to create a very strong idol of Lord Murugan that would withstand the kali yuga (the last stage out of four stages the world goes through) to provide enough healing elixir to humans in the form of navapashanam.
With the consultation of Agasthiyar (Father of Ayurvedic Medicine) and other siddhars, Bogar mixed nine poisons (Navapashanam) and made the Master Medicine in the form of the Lord Murugan idol which is currently worshiped at Palani Murugan temple. There is a place near Palani Hill called Thanasiappan Temple which is the place where Bogar mixed the Navapashanam and made the Murugan idol.
Bogar and others then decided that by using the milk and panchamirtham poured on the idol, one can extract the medicine from the idol. Panchamirtham is a sweet concoction used in Hindu worship and pujas. A traditional recipe for Palani Panchamirtham consist of these ingredients: crushed small plantains, kandasari sugar from the Kangeyam area, dates, raisins, sugar candy (kalkandu), cardamom and ghee in proper proportions. The milk and panchamritham then become medicine to cure disease
References
https://astroulagam.com.my/lifestyle/bogar-and-his-navapashanam-secret-immortality-84475
