Indian Columbus

This pond is located on one of the busiest roads in Chennai, Tambaram-Velachery Road in Pallikkaranai. Thousands of us pass through this place every day. We hardly notice this pond. Many of us do not even know about its existence. How many of us are bothered to worry about the sorry state of this tiny waterbody? The pond occupies an area of around 0.3 acres now. I am sure it has shrunk to half of its original size. It has clearly encroached from three sides, and the remaining area is poorly or hardly maintained. The locals use this merely as a place to throw garbage. Thus, a supposed to be beautiful pond is turned into a drain. The pond belongs to Vaidyanatha Swami temple, which is located next door. When I decided to pray to Lord Vaidyanatha seeking help to protect this pond, I could see the board in his temple seeking financial aid. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of th...

This unknown temple pond in Naryanapuram is afraid. What would happen to this tiny pond when the gigantic lake of  Narayanapuram  could lose one-third of its area? Who would bother about this? Hardly anyone knows about its existence. It might be an easy target for encroachment.  This pond belongs to a small Samayapuram Mari Amman temple located on the other side of the road. In those days, people always formed a waterbody along with the temple. This is a small temple, but its pond is bigger than the temple. It occupies an area of around 1.7 acres. Who knows? Originally, it would have been much more extensive. Let the owner of this pond, Mari Amman, protect this pond forever. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, the...

Wallajah Mosque is the biggest, most popular, and one of the city's oldest mosques. The mosque is set on vast grounds and is referred to as the Big Mosque. The pond that is situated inside the complex is small, though. It hardly occupies an area of around 0.03 acres. Yet, this pond enhances the elegance of the mosque, built in the Mughal style of architecture. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without lakes. There is a high possibility that even the few waterbodies we have today might vanish soon. I decided to visit the currently surviving waterbodies of Chennai and its suburbs and write about them in my blog as a series. Visit my site,  krishnakumartk.com , to...

This is perhaps the most popular waterbody of Chennai - the temple tank of the famous Kapaleeswarar generally referred to as Mylapore Theppa Kulam. The current structure of the temple must have been built in the 16th century CE. The date must hold true to this tank too. If you walk along the banks of this tank, you will definitely get the heritage feel. The tank, with its mandapam with the backdrop of the distant view of the temple tower, is a favorite sight for photographers. The tank, a well-known landmark of the city, spreads over 6.75 acres. To know more about the temple, click  here . Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without lakes. There is a high p...

Situated amidst the concrete jungle in the middle of the city and spread across 1.4 acres, the Vadapalani Murugan temple tank is a famous landmark. The 40 feet deep tank is well protected by tall compound walls on all sides. Although it is well maintained, the streets around the tank definitely lack maintenance. This tank was probably constructed along with the temple in the beginning of the 20th century CE. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without lakes. There is a high possibility that even the few waterbodies we have today might vanish soon. I decided to visit the currently surviving waterbodies of Chennai and its suburbs and write about them in my blog as a serie...

Within just 15 km from Tambaram, the ancient temple of Satyapureeswarar is nestled amidst a typical village setup in Ponmar. The temple has a beautiful lily pond. It occupies around 0.5 acres of area. Fortunately, urbanization has not yet affected the pond, and it remains intact without losing its pride. Click here to know more about this temple. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without lakes. There is a high possibility that even the few waterbodies we have today might vanish soon. I decided to visit the currently surviving waterbodies of Chennai and its suburbs and write about them in my blog as a series. Visit my site,  krishnakumartk.com , to know more ...

Legend states that Lord Chandra took a dip in this pond and worshiped Lord Shiva in the adjoining temple to eliminate his sin. Hence, the pond, spread across an area of 0.5 acres, is named after him, Soma Teerth. The temple is very ancient and belongs to the Chola era. There are so many rare and extraordinary sculptures found in the temple. The pond, along with this historic temple, is picturesque. Click here to know more about the adjoining Somanatheeswarar Temple. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without lakes. There is a high possibility that even the few waterbodies we have today might vanish soon. I decided to visit the currently surviving waterbodies of ...

Around 30 km from Chennai, Tirumanam is a remote and quiet village. It has a 13th-century Pandya-era temple for Lord Shiva, which is called Dhatreeswarar temple. The temple has a beautiful pond that occupies an area of around 1.8 acres. Even though the pond has water and is maintained well, the villagers are not bothered about the surrounding. The garbage is found littered in all the lanes around this tank. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without lakes. There is a high possibility that even the few waterbodies we have today might vanish soon. I decided to visit the currently surviving waterbodies of Chennai and its suburbs and write about them in my blog as a ser...

This place looks lovely and green. The lily pond, surrounded by fertile paddy fields, covers an area of around 5 acres. Located right on the Poonamallee-Pattabhiram High Road in Voyalanallur village near Tirumazhisai, this is one of the best-kept secrets of Chennai. The nearest landmark is  Kandaswami  temple. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without lakes. There is a high possibility that even the few waterbodies we have today might vanish soon. I decided to visit the currently surviving waterbodies of Chennai and its suburbs and write about them in my blog as a series. Visit my site,  krishnakumartk.com , to know more about the travel guides and ...

Around 40 km from Chennai, in a lesser-known village called Tiruvur, there is a Chola-era temple for Lord Shiva. Shiva is named Shringandeeswarar here, as it is believed that the sage Rishya Shringa worshiped him. The temple has a big tank that covers an area of around 1.25 acres. Not more than 30% of the tank has water. The maintenance is the issue. I could see some encroachments too. Click  here  to learn more about this temple. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without lakes. There is a high possibility that even the few waterbodies we have today might vanish soon. I decided to visit the currently surviving waterbodies of Chennai and its suburbs and write ...

The centuries-old lesser-known Tirutaaleeswarar temple in Aranvoyal, a village on the outskirts of Chennai, has a big tank. The locality is not urbanized, and hence the tank remains untouched. It is indeed a beautiful sight. The tank occupies an area of about 2.5 acres. Click  here  to learn more about this temple. Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without lakes. There is a high possibility that even the few waterbodies we have today might vanish soon. I decided to visit the currently surviving waterbodies of Chennai and its suburbs and write about them in my blog as a series. Visit my site,  krishnakumartk.com , to know more about the travel guides a...

It's a lesser-known village called Unamancheri on the southern outskirts of Chennai. A small but beautiful Vijayanagara-era temple of Lord Rama is found there. Not only the temple but the temple tank is captivating. Surrounded by paddy fields and a Vijayanagara period temple on one side and a village temple on the other, this pond which occupies an area of about 0.5 acres, is pleasant for our eyes. It is maintained well and has full of water throughout the year. To learn more about the Kodanda Rama temple, click  here . Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks nearby and lake-view roads without lakes. There is a high possibility that even the few waterbodies we have today might vanish soon. I...

The southern outskirt of Chennai has so many waterbodies which are not yet vanished. Unfortunately, only a few of them are being maintained properly. The Jamulingeswara temple of Sembakkam near Tambaram has a huge tank that spreads an area of around 0.5 acres. The history of the temple or tank is not known. But it should be centuries old. This tank, with so much capacity, could improve the groundwater level of the locality to a great extent. But, it is unfortunate that this tank merely appears like a playground. It's absolutely dry, and I am not sure if any attempt has ever been made to restore this tank. To know more about the temple, click  here . Happy travelling. Note:  As per a report, there were about 650+ waterbodies in the Chennai region till the 1980s. Today, only a fraction of them exist. And most of those surviving waterbodies hardly have water, and even some of them that have water have been poorly shrunk. In Chennai, there are tank roads without tanks...