Tirumangai Alwar Malai - A Hidden Gem in Chennai

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 their request, Vishnu appeared to them in a pleasant and tranquil form. It can be equated to the quality of pure water (called "thanmai" or "neermai" in Tamil).

When Tirumangai Alwar, one of twelve Vaishnaivite saints from South India, came to Kandava Vanam, the hill where the temple is located now, was surrounded by water torrent. Alwar waited in a nearby hill for six months for the water to get drained. Only then, he managed to visit the hilltop temple. Hence, the hill and the village, were named "Tiru Neer Malai" in Tamil "Toyadri Kshetram" in Sanskrit. (The words "neer" and "toya" mean water. "Malai" and "adri" means hill). 

At about 3 km from Tiruneermalai, there is a hillock, known as Tirumangai Alwar Malai. It is believed to be the exact site where Alwar stayed for six months to ultimately visit Tiruneermalai. 

Distant view of Tiruneermalai

On top of the hill overlooking Tiruneermalai, a modern-day structure without a vimana serves as the shrine of Tirumangai Alwar. He is found with his arms folded in Anjali mudra and has a spear by his side. On half the way to the hillock temple, there is another shrine that has Tirumangai Alwar and his consort Kumudavalli Nachiar. 

It is supposed to be a beautiful site, with a hillock surrounded by waterbody and a remote sight of Tiruneermalai temples. Unfortunately it is not maintained well. There is no proper approach road. Due to traffic of heavy vehicles and quarrying, the path is not motorable. (I personally got my car's oil sump damaged and ended up spending thousands of bucks.) There is no sign board. You cannot find anyone to guide you. The steps leading the hillock temple are not well-laid. It is impossible for elderly people to reach the temple. It is unsafe to visit the site alone. 

I understand that the priest visits the temple once in a week.

Those who are interested, please go and visit the site, before it is destroyed completely by quarrying.

Happy travelling.