Thirumullaivayal Masilamaneeswarar Temple - Chennai, South India

By -

Thirumullaivayal is a small village situated between Ambattur and Avadi in the northern part of Chennai. It is home to the historic Masilamaneeswarar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. This ancient temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, making it a significant site for Shaivites.

The temple features a beautifully crafted tower facing north. While the temple entrance and tower are in the northern direction, the sanctum of Masilamaneeswarar faces east.

A fascinating legend surrounds this temple. Aathondai Chakravarthy, also known as Thondaiman, was the son of Chola king Killi Valavan and Peelivalai of the Naga dynasty. Killi Valavan divided his kingdom, giving the southern Chola region to his Chola-born son and the northern region, Thondai Mandalam, to Thondaiman, who ruled from Kanchipuram.

During his reign, Thondaiman faced resistance from the rulers of Kurumbur—Vanan, Onaan, and Kanthan—who governed the Puzhal area and worshipped Bhairava. Despite multiple attempts, he struggled to defeat them. On his way back to Kanchipuram, he passed through Thirumullaivayal, where his elephant’s legs got entangled in a jasmine shrub. (An alternate version of the story mentions a chariot instead of an elephant.) When the king tried to cut the shrub with his sword, he was stunned to see blood oozing out. Upon closer inspection, he discovered a Shiva Linga beneath the shrub. Shocked and remorseful, he prepared to sever his own arm as penance, but Lord Shiva, along with Parvati, appeared and stopped him.

Shiva then sent Nandi with Thondaiman, gifting Nandi a sword from Parvati. With Nandi’s help, Thondaiman waged war against the Kurumbars and defeated them. As a mark of victory, he brought Erukka pillars from Kurumbur and installed them in the temple. These ancient pillars, believed to be stronger than teak, can still be seen inside the Masilamaneeswarar shrine. Another unique feature of the temple is that Nandi does not face the Shiva Linga, as is customary. Instead, he faces the direction of Puzhal, symbolizing his vigilance over the former Kurumbar stronghold.

The temple’s architecture is remarkable, with its sanctum vimana designed in the Gajaprashta (elephant-back) style. The main deity, Masilamaneeswarar, is a large Shiva Linga, always covered with sandal paste. A visible scar on the Linga is believed to be from the sword cut. The sanctum walls house grand niche sculptures of Ganesha, Dakshinamurti, Vishnu, Brahma, and Durga, while Chandikeswarar is positioned in his traditional place near Brahma.

The temple’s presiding Goddess, Kodiyidai Amman, is more widely revered than Masilamaneeswarar. She is considered one of the three powerful goddesses of the Chennai region, alongside Thiruvudai Amman of Melur and Vadivudai Amman of Tiruvottiyur. Many devotees visit all three shrines on the same day. Kodiyidai Amman is worshipped as Kriya Shakti (the power of action).

At the entrance of Masilamaneeswarar’s shrine, the magnificent Dwarapalakas stand guard, with an image of Vishnu and his consorts nearby. A Rasa Linga is also present in this area, along with a scultpture of Thondai Mandala Raja. A separate shrine for Nataraja and Sivakami is found here.

The temple’s inner corridor is adorned with various deities, including Ganesha, Murugan, Lakshmi, multiple Shiva Lingas, Nagas, the 63 Nayanmars, Bhairava, Surya, Veerabhadra, and Arunagirinathar.

The expansive outer corridor houses a shrine for Prasanna Ganapati, which is the first deity visible upon entering the temple. A separate shrine is dedicated to Murugan, along with his consorts Valli and Devasena. Ancient idols of Surya and Bhairava add to the temple’s heritage. There are also shrines for Kusalavapureeswarar and Choleswarar.

Unlike many other Shiva temples, the Navagrahas (nine planetary deities) are not found here. The temple tank is located outside the premises.

With its rich history, spiritual significance, and unique architectural elements, the Masilamaneeswarar Temple remains an important religious and cultural landmark in Chennai.

 Happy travelling.






View Larger Map

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

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