Siruvapuri Subramanya Temple

Siruvapuri is a small village near Chennai, surrounded by fertile lands. According to legend, this is where Luv and Kush, the sons of Lord Rama, captured his sacrificial horse. Rama's brothers tried to reclaim it but failed, leading to a battle where Rama himself confronted his sons. This event gave the place its name—Siruvapuri or Siruvarpuri—derived from the Tamil word "siruvar" (meaning "boys").

The village is home to three ancient temples dedicated to Subramanya, Shiva, and Vishnu. Among them, the Siruvapuri Subramanya Temple is the most renowned.

Though small, the Subramanya temple is centuries old. The 14th-century saint-poet Arunagirinathar has composed hymns in praise of this temple. The presiding deity, Bala Subramanya, is depicted with four hands. Opposite the main sanctum, a small image of Arunagirinathar can be seen. A distinct feature of the temple is a green granite peacock sculpture near the flag post.

Adjacent to the Subramanya shrine are the shrines of Annamalai (Shiva) and Goddess Unnamalai. Ganesha is also present nearby. The temple houses a rare metal icon of Subramanya with Valli in a wedding posture, an unusual representation in iconography.

The temple corridor features images of Bhairava, Surya, Naga (serpent deity), and Venkat Rayar. Notably, there is a Maragatha Vinayakar (green granite Ganesha) shrine and another Subramanya shrine called Moolanathar. Devotees believe that placing a brick behind this shrine fulfills their wish of acquiring a new home. A designated area within the temple holds these bricks, which are venerated as Muneeswarar. Additionally, the temple has shrines for Chandikeswarar and the Navagrahas.

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