The Oldest Ganesha of Tirunelveli.

By -

For ages, the junction that links West Car Street and South Car Street has stood as a beloved landmark in Tirunelveli. In Tamil, the word junction is referred to as "Sandi." Hence, the Ganesha temple located here is called Sandi Vinayaka. While the temple's frontal pillar design suggests a heritage from the 1800s, the entire structure has undergone significant renovation. Legend holds that Sage Agastya, during his journey to Tirunelveli to witness the divine union of Shiva and Uma, offered worship to this Vinayaka deity. Moreover, it is acclaimed as the most ancient Ganesha shrine in all of Tirunelveli.

Although lacking a towering entrance gopuram, the temple emanates modest charm with stucco depictions of Ganesha and his entourage adorning its entrance. Inside the main sanctum, Pillaiyar (Vinayaka) resides, depicted with his trunk curving to the right.



Within the ardha mandapa, one can find small stone representations of Nellaiyappar (Linga), Kantimati, Jaynatinatha, and Bala Subramanya. Intriguingly, bronze sculptures of Ganesha and Agastya are also situated here. A stone depiction of Agastya is positioned near the main entryway.

The prakara encircles a multitude of fresh icons, including stone figures of Nataraja and Sivakami, as well as bronze renditions of Nataraja and Sivakami. Additionally, icons of Nalvar, Sekkizhar, Namashivaya Murti, Surya, Chandra, Dakshinamurti, Durga, Chandikeshwara, Murugan-Valli-Devasena, Shanmukha-Valli-Devasena, Vallabha Ganapati, and the Navagraha grace the prakara's expanse. Chandikeshwara is found with an elephant head similar to the presiding deity of the temple.

Happy travelling.


Location: Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

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