Chinna Kadai Renuka Parameswari Temple

Chennai has a significant North Indian population in Sowcarpet. Besides its narrow and highly congested streets, Sowcarpet also has a lot of temples. Some of those temples are very prominent and are 200-400 years old. Chinna Kadai Mariamman, also known as Renuka Parameswari Temple, is one such ancient and famous temple.

Chinna Kadai Mariamman Temple is located at the junction of NSC Bose Road and Mint Street in the Sowcarpet region. It is more than 200 years old. 

Even though this is a small temple, the Goddess is considered very powerful, and hence, it is always crowded. Many shop owners in the neighborhood do not open their shops without getting “darshan” of this Goddess. 

The temple's central shrine has two icons – Mariamman (in the typical iconography where only the severed head of the woman deity is present) and another image with a fully human form (Renuka Parameswari). 

The temple also enshrines Kasi Viswanath along with his consort Vishalakshi. 

The highlight of the temple is that camphor always burns in front of the temple. You will hardly get a chance to see the temple without camphor burning. 

It is said that Swami Vivekananda and Vallalar have visited this temple.

Happy travelling.

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