Indian Columbus

Kumaran Kundram in Chrompet has become an important Murugan temple of Chennai in the past few years. Unlike other Murugan shrines, it is not too old, though. Situated atop a hill that can be reached through well-laid 100+ granite steps, the temple is said to be a replica of the famous Swamimalai temple.  The presiding deity is called Swaminathan or Aishwarya Murugan. The infant Murugan holds a spear in his hand. Instead of his usual peacock, an elephant is found as his vaahana. The view from the top shows the entire Chrompet and its neighborhood. A perennial spring called Kumara Teertham is located amidst the serene surroundings.  Besides the three-tiered tower at the entrance on the hilltop, there is another five-tiered tower at the base on the roadside. Although the temple was constructed in 1979, Ganesha's shrine at the base was now built in the 1950s. Arunagirinathar mandapam is located at the base where many functions and even marriages are conducted.  A big metal ic...

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.

Pammal is a suburban locality of Chennai, located next to Pallavaram. This place is well known across the state of Tamil Nadu, thanks to the famous personality Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar, the founding father of model Tamil theatre. However, this article is not about him, but an ancient Chola temple of Pammal named Pushpagireeswarar. History The current concrete structure makes it impossible to believe it is a 13th-century period temple. But it is true. There are two Chola-era inscriptions found on the outer walls of the sanctum. The first inscription is dated to the 35th year of the reign of Virarajendra alias Kulotunga Chola III. The probable date in the English calendar is 3rd November 1210 CE. The inscription refers to an endowment of land to the nearby Tiruneermalai Perumal temple and its tax exemption. Interestingly, we understand that the land was located in present-day Tambaram. It was called Taampuram or Gunaseelanallur in those days. It also locates Tambaram in the Surathur Nad...

Pammal is a suburban locality of Chennai, located next to Pallavaram. This place is well known across the state of Tamil Nadu, thanks to the famous personality Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar, the founding father of model Tamil theatre. However, this article is not about him, but about an ancient temple of Pammal named Arkeeswaram. Legend Arka is another name for Surya. As per the legend associated with this site, Arka worshiped Shiva Linga, and the latter is named  Arkeeswara, meaning the Lord of Arka. The place was initially called Arkeeswaram. Devara Vaippu Sthalam It is believed to be a Devara Vaippu Sthalam. (A Devaram Sthalam or a Paadal Petra Sthalam is a holy site of Shiva, which is mentioned in the works of Appar, Sambandhar and Sundarar, the Tamil Shaivite poets. All those hymns are compiled as  "Devaram"  by Nambiyandar Nambi in the 12th century CE. There are 276 such divine sites. Besides, many other important Shiva temples are casually mentioned in the hymns. They ...

Neervannan, Neermalai and Anima Malar Mangai  - beautiful Tamil names! Not only these names, but even the site associated with them is such a picturesque place. It's a lovely hill surrounded by water bodies amidst the congested and highly populated locality. I hope you would have guessed by now, on which site am talking about. Yes, it is the famous Tiruneermalai , a popular religious site located near Tambaram, the southern outskirts of Chennai. (To know more about Tiruneermalai, please read this article .)  This article is not about Tiruneermalai though. People of Chennai definitely know this Divya Desam and the twin temples of Vishnu. Let me introduce a hidden gem called Tirumangai Alwar Malai . Rather than calling it a lesser-known site, if I call it an unknown site, it would apt. During the Puranic times, the current Tiruneermalai site was a forest and was known as  Kandava Vanam . It is said that the sages performed severe penance for 600 years in this forest. As per...

Somangalam  - it is such a picturesque village, surrounded by a beautiful lake and fertile lands. It's hard to believe that it is a Southern suburb of the highly congested Chennai. The village has two Chola period temples, Somanatheeswara (Shiva) and Soundararaja Perumal (Vishnu). Although both the temples have less number of visitors nowadays, Shiva's temple is known to the heritage enthusiasts. However, the Soundararaja Perumal Temple remains unknown to the people outside the village. This article focuses on that Chola-era beautiful shrine.  Once we pass through the east-facing entrance adorned with a tiny tower, we might wonder if it is a Kerala-type shrine. The tiled roof and the supporting timber work of Maha mandapa make us believe so. This beautiful work is a later addition, though. The enchanting Soundarararaja Perumal is standing along with his two consorts, Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi. He holds conch and discus in his upper arms. His lower arms are in abhaya and kati mudr...

Not only its history but even its existence remains unknown to the citizens of Chennai. Located in Pazhanthandalam, not far away from the famous Tiruneermalai, this apsidal (Gajaprshtha) temple of Iravateeswarar might be a later Chola temple. Else, it might be an original Pallava-era temple reconstructed by the Cholas. Unfortunately, we can only keep guessing. There is no inscription found in this mostly renovated concrete structure. Although there are three entrances to the temple in the south, east and north directions, none of them has a tower. The southern entrance alone is used by the public now.  The moderate-sized Shiva Linga called Iravateeswarar in the east-facing sanctum, and Nandi outside are the only old icons of the temple. All other images are new. Some are entirely new, made during the temple renovation work in 2011 CE. Although the antarala and ardha mandapa are renovated with modern-day concrete, the Maha mandapa remains intact to some extent. However, as per the s...

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...

Tiruneermalai, having twin Vishnu temples, is a popular outskirt of Chennai. Its lesser-known neighboring locality Tirumudivakkam has an old Shiva temple, which remains unknown. Originally a fertile village that turned into an industrial area, the temple of Tiruveneeswarar is located in a lane near the Tirumudivakkam bus stop. Based on the iconography, the icons of the temple could be dated to the 17th or 18th century CE.  A four feet tall and broad Shiva Linga named Tiruveneeswarar is the presiding deity. Tripurasundari is the presiding Goddess.  Raja Ganapati and Subramanya, accompanied by his two consorts, are found in sub-shrines in the prakara. Vishnu Durga is the only Koshta deity. Except for this icon, all other sculptures were present in the original temple. The current structure was built entirely in 2006.  Nandi facing the Shiva Linga, Bhairava and Chandikeshwara are other murtis of the temple. Navagraha mandapa was constructed in 1938, as per the date inscribed...