Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Soranjeri, Thiruvallur

 

Moolavar: Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar

Amman: Sri Meenakshi Ambal

A beautiful 1800 years old chola period temple located on the banks of coovam river. This village was known as Chozhancheri during the chola period and later the same name has become Soranjeri.

The moolavar Meenakshi Sundareswarar is on a square Avudayar facing east. Ambal Meenakshi is very beautiful and facing south. The temple has a beautiful praharam with sarakondrai trees , Neem and Arasu.

The main entrance has a 3 tiered Rajagopuram and right behind the temple is a beautiful temple tank which is clean and well maintained. 

The temple is said to be open only by 9 am.

Contact: Mr.Gopinath can be reached on 75984 64618.

Location: Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Soranjeri, Thiruvallur 

Sri Aatheeswarar Temple, Thirutheri, Singaperumalkoil, Chengalpet

 

Moolavar: Sri Aatheeswarar 

Amman: Sri Anandhavalli

A peaceful temple just off the GST Road in Singaperumalkoil. The shivalingam seems to have been under a big banyan tree and locals have built a shed around him and are worshiping. Later the Ambal, and Nandhi seems to have been installed.

There could have been an old temple here which in the long run must have got dilapidated leaving only the shivalingam.

The shivalingam is facing east with a beautiful round Avudayar. Ambal is facing south within the Arthamandapam. The tree behind the moolavar has 5 trees together. Banyan, Palm Aathi, Neem and another tree.

Daily one Kala Puja is performed with utmost dedication by 2 Sivanadiyars named Shakthi and Shakthi Vel. This is worth experiencing in the early morning.

Contact: The temple in charge Ranganathan can be reached on 9884225362

Location: Sri Aatheeswarar Temple, Thirutheri, Singaperumalkoil

Sri Madhangeeswarar Temple, Kancheepuram

 

Moolavar: Sri Madhangeeswarar

Amman: Sri Kamakshi Ambal

One of the lesser-known but exceptionally important Pallava-period Shiva temples of Kanchipuram. Hidden behind a narrow entrance on Hospital Road, the temple is easy to miss amid the bustle of the modern town. Yet within its compact structure survives a remarkable collection of early Pallava architectural and sculptural features. Sources generally place the temple in the 8th-century Pallava architectural tradition. Some historians have associated its construction with the reign of Narasimhavarman II, popularly known as Rajasimha Pallava, with completion or later work associated with Nandivarman II. 

The name is traditionally associated with Sage Matanga (Mathanga Muni), who is said to have performed penance and worshipped Lord Shiva at this sacred spot. 

Mathangeeswarar is a relatively small temple, especially when compared with the enormous temple complexes for which Kanchipuram is famous.

But its small size is deceptive. It contains many of the defining features of Pallava structural architecture.

The temple is constructed predominantly from sandstone, with granite used in portions of the base and upper structural elements. The use of sandstone is particularly characteristic of the Pallava temples of Kanchipuram. One of the easiest ways to recognise Pallava architecture is through the celebrated lion-based pillars.

Among the notable sculptures are:

Gajasamharamurti

Here Shiva is represented as the destroyer of the demon who assumed the form of an elephant.The Gajasamharamurti represents the destruction of arrogance, evil and ignorance, and is one of the dramatic forms of Shiva commonly represented in Pallava sculpture.

Ravananugrahamurti

Ravana attempting to lift Mount Kailasa. Ravana’s arrogance leads him to attempt to shake Kailasa. Shiva effortlessly presses the mountain down with his toe, trapping Ravana beneath it

The sculpture therefore conveys a profound theme: pride ultimately bows before divine power.

This form is known as Ravananugrahamurti – Shiva granting grace to Ravana.

Gangadharamurti

Another important representation is Gangadhara, Shiva receiving the descending River Ganga into his matted locks.

The image symbolises Shiva as the cosmic mediator who controls and transforms tremendous divine energy.

Urdhva Tandava

The temple also contains Urdhva Tandava, the dancing form of Shiva with one leg raised high.This is one of the most spectacular forms of Nataraja imagery.

The raised leg represents extraordinary physical and spiritual mastery, while the dance itself expresses the dynamic nature of creation and destruction.

The Urdhva Tandava sculpture at Mathangeeswarar is specifically noted by architectural historians as one of the temple’s significant sculptures.

Location: Sri Madhangeeswarar Temple, Kancheepuram 

Sri Chenna Malleeswarar Temple, Parrys, Chennai

 

Moolavar: Sri Chenna Malleeswarar

Amman: Sri Brambarambigai

The history of the twin temples of Sri Chenna Malleeswarar and Sri Chenna Kesava Perumal is closely intertwined with the early history of Madras, the establishment of Fort St. George, and the development of the old city.

The British began constructing Fort St. George in the 1640s. The fort was expanded and strengthened in stages over several years, and settlements gradually developed around it. The Indian settlement that grew outside the fort came to be known to the British as Black Town. This area subsequently developed into one of the most important parts of early Madras.

According to traditional accounts, the original temples dedicated to Sri Chenna Kesava Perumal and Sri Chenna Malleeswarar stood in the vicinity of the original Black Town. As the British expanded the fort and its surrounding settlements, the temples were reportedly relocated to their present location in the area around Broadway, Mint Street and Kothawal Chavadi, which was historically an important commercial and vegetable market centre.

The twin temples are particularly significant because they represent the close association of Vaishnavism and Shaivism in the religious history of old Madras. The temples are situated next to each other and share several facilities, including the temple tank and the temple chariot. An interconnecting passage between the two temples further reflects their unique relationship.

The twin temples reportedly find mention in a notification dating to 1766. The Madras Council is said to have granted land for the construction of the temples. Manali Muthukrishna Mudaliar, a prominent philanthropist and patron of temples, is traditionally credited with making a substantial contribution towards their construction. Accounts mention a contribution of 5,202 pagodas, besides other large expenditures associated with the construction.

Some historical accounts place the origins of the Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple as early as the middle of the 17th century, although the temples have undergone reconstruction and modifications over the centuries. Their history therefore reflects not only their religious antiquity but also the transformation of Madras from a colonial settlement into the modern city of Chennai.

The sanctum of Sri Chenna Malleeswarar Temple is notable for its rectangular plan, associated with the Nagara architectural tradition. 

The koshta niches around the sanctum contain several important deities:

Sri Vinayagar

Sri Dakshinamurthy

Sri Maha Vishnu

Sri Brahma

Sri Durgai

The two-tier vimana above the sanctum is particularly distinctive. It is rectangular in form and crowned by three kalasams, giving the temple a unique architectural appearance.

One of the most interesting features of this temple complex is the close physical relationship between the Shiva and Vishnu temples. The temple tank and temple chariot are shared by both Sri Chenna Malleeswarar and Sri Chenna Kesava Perumal temples. There is also an interlinking passage connecting the two temples.

This arrangement is especially noteworthy in Chennai, where the two temples stand as a living representation of the harmonious presence of the Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions within the historic city.

The outer prakaram contains several important sannadhis, including:

Sri Subramaniyar

Sri Bramarambigai

Sri Arunagirinathar

Sri Bhairavar

Sri Adi Shankaracharya

Sri Prasanna Vinayagar

These shrines add to the spiritual and iconographic richness of the temple complex.The inner prakaram contains a number of important Shaiva shrines and forms of Shiva, including:

Nalvar

63 Nayanmars

Eesana Lingam

Tatpurusha Lingam

Aghora Lingam

Vamadeva Lingam

Kasi Lingam

Bhikshatana

Somaskanda

Nataraja

Bala Murugan

Navagrahas

The presence of the five forms of Shiva—Eesana, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vamadeva and Sadyojata (where represented)—is particularly significant from the perspective of Shaiva iconography.The Sri Chenna Malleeswarar and Sri Chenna Kesava Perumal temples are more than individual places of worship. Their story is closely connected with the birth and development of colonial Madras itself.

From the early settlement around Fort St. George and the old Black Town to the bustling streets of Broadway, Mint Street and Kothawal Chavadi, the temples have witnessed the transformation of the city over several centuries.

The coexistence of the Shiva and Vishnu temples, their shared tank and chariot, and the traditions associated with their relocation make this twin-temple complex one of the unique religious and historical landmarks of Chennai.

Location: Sri Chenna Malleeswarar Temple, Parrys, Chennai