Indian Columbus

Piravasthanam - it's the best-kept secret of Kanchipuram, the city of temples. Go to Kanchipuram and ask for this temple. Else, Google its name and try to locate the GPS coordinates. You would hardly find it. Piravasthanam temple is one of the eight Pallava period temples remaining in the city. This architecturally beautiful temple is located at Kamaraj Nagar 2nd Street. Iravadeeswarar temple and Pachaivannar temple are comparatively better-known sites situated near this temple. Kanchi Puranam mentions this temple. It is also called  Piravadeeswarar Temple or Apunarbhaveswarar Temple . The word "Pirava" in the Tamil language indicates preventing rebirth. Similarly, the Iravadeeswarar temple is nearby, indicating something related to death (Irava). As per the legend, the sage Vamadeva prayed to Lord Shiva to bless him, not to have rebirth. The sage was in the womb of his mother while praying. Shiva advised him to visit this site to fulfill his wish. Accordingly, afte...

This is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets of Chennai. Covering an area of about 4 acres, this vast pond, surrounded by a park and greenery, is a picturesque location. This pond belongs to Alavattaman Temple. This temple and pond are located on the border between two villages, Rajkilpakkam and Sembakkam, on the southern outskirts of Chennai city. This temple must be around 200 years old. I am sure this pond would have been the water source for these villages in the last two centuries. This is one of those few well-maintained tanks. A few years ago, the Municipal Corporation cleaned this pond and laid a beautiful park around the pond. Since then, we could find water in the tank even during the summer, a rare scene in the city. Similar to this, there are many lesser-known waterbodies in the southern outskirts of Chennai. 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 ...

On the border between two villages, Rajkilpakkam and Sembakkam, on the southern outskirts of Chennai city, a 200 year old Alavattamman Temple is located. Near that temple, the stone icon of Jyestha Devi lies neglected under a tree in a corner. She is found along with her two attendants. As per a few versions, they are her children, Manthan and Agni. The icon has no temple structure or regular priests to perform poojas. Yet, the local villagers worship this deity as the Mother Goddess. Who is  Jyestha Devi ? As per the Hindu Puranas, she is the elder sister of Lakshmi. Lakshmi considered the deity of wealth, is worshiped in all temples. There are prominent temples with Lakshmi as the presiding deity. However, her sister Jyestha does not find any place in Vishnu temples or her sister Lakshmi's temples. Barring a few temples in the Trichy-Tanjore region, Jyestha Devi is generally found outside the Shiva temples or in a neglected corner in Shiva's temple enclosure. This icon of...

How many of you from Chennai know about this nearby village that once had 32 small temples and 32 ponds, in addition to a big Shiva temple and other village temples?  Sembakkam  is a calm lesser known village near Tiruporur. The distance is around 35 km from Tambaram. The village and the paces surrounding the village for about 15 km are very peaceful, serene and green. Driving from Chennai gives us a pleasant feeling as the narrow roads are surrounded by broad trees on either side. Also, we would wonder if it is located near Chennai or in Kerala, God's own country. Similar to the famous  Tiruvanaikkaval Jamukeshwarar Temple , this village also has a temple for  Jambukeshwarar . The village is also named Vada Tiruvanaikkaval or Uttara Jambukeshwararm. Let me call this village "The Village of Temples". Let us see a few important temples of this village. Jambukeshwarar Temple The most important site of the village is the ancient temple of  Jambukeshwarar . Le...

Venbedu is a small, lesser-known village around 30 km from Tambaram on the Thirupporur route. On the high road of this village, the colossal stucco sculpture of Anjaneya, called Vishwaroopa Anjaneya, is noticeable and attractive. Hanuman is found in Abhya mudra and holds a mace in his left arm. He is usually depicted in Anjali Mudra in many of the temples. The village is getting popular in the surrounding villages due to this temple. There is a Shiva temple called Agasteeswarar near this Hanuman icon. It is supposed to be an ancient temple, which has been completely renovated. When writing this article, there are plans to extend the temple and install a few icons such as Rama, Yoga Anjaneya and Yoga Narasimha. Happy travelling.

The Ashta Lakshmi Temple in Chennai holds a special place in the hearts of many. Situated along the vibrant seashore of Besant Nagar, one of the city's liveliest neighborhoods, this temple has garnered fame over the years. This splendid temple was meticulously constructed in 1976 CE. During the earlier years until the 1990s, it offered a serene setting with ample open space, allowing visitors to relish the gentle sea breeze. However, the temple's evolving landscape, marked by the addition of numerous sub-shrines and the construction of a ceiling over what was once an open expanse, has led to a perceptible congestion that has somewhat diminished its former allure. Despite this transformation, devoted pilgrims continue to flock to the temple daily, even though some of its original charm may seem lost. The temple's architectural marvel lies in its Ashtanga Vimana, a distinctive style found in a select few temples like Madurai Koodal Azhagar, Uttiramerur, and Tirukoshtiyur....

Veteran Lines in the Pallavaram locality of Madras were once dominated by Anglo Indians. Detailed coverage of Anglo Indians and this locality can be found in another article -  The Anglo Indians of Chennai , from my blog. In Veteran Lines, only a handful of Anglo Indians, primarily senior citizens, live nowadays. There is a lovely church located here. It is named St. Stephen's English Church. Four Anglo-Indian women, namely Lightfoot, Drinkwater, Gomes and Mckenzie, collected funds and were instrumental in building this church. The church was built between 1929 CE and 1935 CE. It was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Harry Waller on 21st July 1935 CE. Later, the school was developed in the same complex. This 80-year-old church has an important place in the hearts of Anglo Indians and those who lived here in those days. Even today, the locality is very calm and serene. Happy travelling.

Tirumaiyam is a small town located in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu state in India. The town is famous mainly due to the temples of Satyagireeswarar and Satyamurti. There is also an equally exciting site in the town. It is the historic fort set in the area spreading around 40 acres. Tirumaiyam fort was built by Kizhavan Sethupati, the King of Ramnad, in 1680s CE. Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman, who served as the chieftain in this fort, was recognized for his service by Sethupati. He was made an independent ruler, and thus, a newly princely state called Pudukkottai was born. Interestingly, after a few years, the fort came under the control of the Pudukkottai Kings. The magnificent fortress, seen miles before reaching the town, is a major attraction here. Hundreds and thousands of tourists throng on this site every day. The fort that we see today is only a portion of a much bigger original version. The main entrance, with the courtyard and a few shrines, is located about 1 km from the ...