Padi Tiruvalleeswarar Temple - Chennai, India

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Padi is a locality in the central part of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This area is home to the renowned Tiruvalleeswarar Temple, which holds great religious significance. It is recognized as the 21st among the Devara Paadal Petra Sthalams (the 275 most revered temples of Lord Shiva) in the Tondai region.
Highlights:


  • Sambandhar has revered the temple in his verses in Devaram.
  • God - Valleeswarar or Validayanathar
  • Goddess - Jagadambal or Thayammai
  • Teerth (Holy water) - Bharadwaja Teerth
  • Sthala Vruksha (Holy tree) - Padiri (Bignoniaceae)
  • 21st Devara Paadal Petra Sthalam located in the Tondai region
  • Guru Sthalam - a very special temple for Guru worship in Chennai 
  • One of the Navagraha Sthalams in and around Chennai region
  • Bharadwaja, Ram, Hanuman, Indra, Surya, Chandra and Valiyan (black drongo) are believed to have worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple.
  • Arunagirinathar has sung hymns on Subramanya of this temple in his Tiruppugazh.

Legend:

Black drongo

The sage Bharadwaja was cursed and transformed into a black drongo. He worshipped Lord Shiva at this temple and regained his original form. The Tamil word Valiyan refers to this bird, which is why the site is also known as Tiru Validayam.

 Brahma

Brahma’s daughters, Kamalai and Vimalai, are believed to have married Lord Ganesha at this sacred site.


 History:

The temple was reconstructed by Kulotunga Chola III in the 12th century CE and later renovated by Krishna Deva Raya.


 Temple Layout:

The temple has an east-facing three-tiered Raja Gopuram. It is said that the complex originally had multiple prakaras, and even the Padavettu Amman temple (located about 1 km away) was once part of it. Over time, much of the temple’s land has been replaced by roads and buildings, leaving only two inner prakaras. The temple tank now lies outside the main complex.

Upon entering, the floor features images of a pair of small fish and a tortoise alongside a pair of large fish and a tortoise—an unusual sight.

Despite losing some of its original expanse, the temple still covers a vast area. A tall flagstaff, bali peetha, and Nandi Mandapa are situated in an open courtyard facing the sanctum.

The east-facing sanctum houses a large Shiva Linga, known as Tiruvalleeswarar or Validayanathar. The temple's vimana follows the Gajaprshtha (elephant-back) style and is unusually tall, resembling a small tower.

The main shrine consists of the garbha griha, ardha mandapa, and maha mandapa. At the entrance of the garbha griha, there are sculptures of small Dwarapalas. The relief images of Ganesha and Subramanya flank the entrance of the long ardha mandapa, where a small Nandi is also present. The maha mandapa ceiling is adorned with numerous fish motifs, and its pillars and the inner prakara feature intricate carvings.

Adjacent to the sanctum, the Goddess Jagadambal has a separate south-facing shrine with its own entrance, bali peetha, and lion vahana.


The inner prakara houses sculptures of Surya, Nalvar, Arunagirinathar, Bala Subramanya, six Shiva Lingas under a serpent, a Shiva Linga, seated Veerabhadra, Eri Pattar, Neelakandar, Ninraseer Nedumaran, Mangaiyarkkarasi, and other Shiva devotees.

A large Bhairava icon is also present here. Interestingly, in the usual spot where Chandra is typically enshrined, Valampuri Vinayaka is found instead.

A separate sub-shrine is dedicated to Guru Brihaspati, depicted with four arms. Next to it is the Navagraha sub-shrine.

The outer sanctum walls feature beautifully sculpted niches housing the icons of Ganesha, Dakshinamurti, Vishnu, Brahma, and Vishnu Durga. Chandikeshwara is enshrined in his usual position..

A sub-shrine dedicated to Somaskanda Murti houses the striking Somaskanda icon along with metal icons of Vishnu with two consorts, Ganesha, Subramanya with his two consorts, and several other deities.

Near the Jagadambal shrine, there is a sub-shrine for Nataraja and Shivakami.

The other shrines within the inner prakara include:

  • Ganesha
  • Subramanya with Valli and Devasena
  • Sundareswara Linga and Meenakshi (interestingly, Meenakshi here is depicted with four arms)
  • Shiva Linga with Hanuman worshipping him
  • Vadukkuvada Shiva Linga

The temple has some rare architectural placements. The sub-shrine of Somaskanda, which is typically located elsewhere, is found in the southwest corner where a Ganesha shrine is usually expected. Similarly, the Subramanya shrine is positioned directly behind the main sanctum instead of its conventional location.

This historic temple, with its unique legends, significant deities, and unusual layout, remains an important spiritual site in Chennai.


 Happy travelling.







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Location: Padi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600050, India

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