Kurinji Andavar Temple - Kodaikanal

By -
Site Name: Kurinji Andavar Temple 
Site Type: Hill station, Temple
Location:  Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu state, India
Highlights: The most famous temple in Kodaikanal
Nearest Railway Station: Kodai Road - around 80 kms
Nearest Airport: Madurai - around 120 kms 
How to reach: Well connected by road from Dindigul and Madurai
Hotel: A lot of options are available in Kodaikanal and Dindigul
Restaurants: All options - vegetarian and non vegetarian; North Indian, Chinese, South Indian, etc. in Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal, as you all probably know, is one of the popular tourist destinations in India. Thousands and thousands of visitors go to this hilly town called as 'Princess of hillstations'. Let us explore about Kurinji Andavar Temple, a popular temple located in Kodaikanal, in this article.

Kurinji Andavar Temple is located at about 4 kms from the heart of Kodaikanal town. The name of the temple is originated from the Kurinji flowers as there are so many Kurinji plants are found in the region where the temple is located. Kurinji flower is a rare flower which blossoms once in twelve years. 

The main deity of the east facing temple is Dhandayudapani (Subramanya aka Murugan). He is found in the sanctum santorum. In the main shrine there is a small idol of Ganesha also found. 

The small temple has a three tiered tower and a single parakara surrounding the main shrine. In the prakara the sub-shrines of Vishnu, Ganesha and Nava Graha are found. Facing Vishnu, there is Hanuman idol; beyond that there is Garuda idol. 

The temple also acts as a good viewpoint for tourists. From this temple, one could get the breathtaking views of Palani Hills and Vaigai Dam. 

The temple is the most popular one in Kodaikanal. Only few people know that this temple was built by an European woman. She married a Hindu and changed her name as Leelavati. She settled down in Kodaikanal and was called as Lady Ramanathan (her husband was Mr. Ponnambalam Ramanathan). The temple was built by her in 1936 CE.

Happy travelling.
Location: Kurinji Andavar Temple Road, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu 624101, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tallest Murugan of Chennai

By -
Image
Consecrated in March 2021, the 40 feet high Bala Murugan icon at Saveetha Medical College campus is the tallest image of Murugan in Chennai. Malaysia has 140 feet tall Murugan. In April 2022, the 146 feet tall image of Murugan was consecrated near Salem in Tamil Nadu. However, they are all stucco images. But, the one that we find on the college campus is a monolithic granite icon. Thus, it is the tallest stone icon of Murugan in the entire world. A stone weighing 320 tonnes was brought from Siruvambur near Wallajah, and it was carved to 140 tonnes to get this beautiful and gigantic sculpture. The entire temple complex is designed in the shape of the Devanagiri letter "Om", which can be appreciated in the aerial view.  The west-facing gigantic sculpture is located atop the star-shaped pedestal. It dominates the entire landscape. A large meditation hall is situated below the pedestal. On the open corridor in front of the presiding deity, smaller shrines are found. They enshrine...
Read more

Little known Nimishamba Temple of Chennai

By -
Image
Site Name:  Nimishamba Temple Site Type:  Hindu Temple Location:   Kasi Chetty Street, Sowcarpet, Chennai city, Tamil Nadu state, India Highlights:   A rare temple of Nimishamba in Chennai city Nearest Railway Station:   Chennai - well connected from the cities/towns all over India Nearest Airport:   Chennai has both national and international airports How to reach:   Easily reachable by road as this is centrally located in the city Hotel:  Many star hotels, luxury hotels/resorts, and budget hotels are available in Chennai Restaurants:  All options - vegetarian, non-vegetarian, Chinese, South Indian, Gujarati, North Indian, Punjabi,....- you can find everything in Chennai city Chennai is considered as the gateway to South India. The capital city of Tamil Nadu state of India has hundreds of tourist sites which include museum, British period monuments, temples, beach, etc. Let us explore a little known temple called Nimisham...
Read more

Hastinapuram Navapashanam Murugan Temple

By -
Image
Navapashanam is an amalgam of nine poisonous herbs. It is said to act as a remedy for all types of diseases. It is believed that the Siddhas knew the secret formula to prepare this medicinal potion.  The sculpture of Murugan from the famous Palani is claimed to be made of Navapashanam. Similarly, there is a lesser-known temple near Chennai, which has a Navapashanam Murugan. In Hastinapuram near Chrompet in the southern outskirts of Chennai, in a congested lane called Masjid Street, this tiny temple of Bala Murugan is situated. Murugan, made of Navapashanam, is the presiding deity.  Jalakandeeswara Linga, Meenakshi, and the Siddha who found this temple are the other Murtis found in the temple. Happy travelling.
Read more