Kandhakottam Kandaswami Temple is in the Rasappa Chetty Street of Parrys corner in Chennai (located near the Ratan or Evening Bazaar). The temple deity is Lord Muruga known by the name as Selva Muthu Kumaraswamy. This temple was frequented by the Saint Poet “Vallalar” Ramalinga Adigal who has sung “Deiva Mani Malai” a devotional poem on the Lord Kandasami. This temple was built by devotees of the Tirupporur Murugan temple in the 17th century, enshrining an image of Skanda discovered in an ant hill near Tirupporur. The temple was renovated in the 19th century.

     Two great bhaktas named Kandappa Achari and Mari Chettiar, who lived some three hundred years before in Madras. They were intensely attached to the Kumaran of Tiruporur and were visiting every month regularly on the auspicious Krithika day, walking all the way nearly 60 km. And returning like wise. And they used to rest on the way under a neem tree. One day a snake came and slept near Marri Chetty, when he was in deep sleep. In his dream he was directed by a boy to take the idols hidden under ant-hill and install in a temple. On waking up he found to his shock the snake lying next to him, which disappeared at once.

     He informed of this entire event to his friend. Being devout Bhaktas, they dug the ant-hill and found to their surprise beautiful images, of Muruga, Valli and Devasena. They took them home. Kandappa Achari installed them in a temple besides a small shrine built by him for Vinayaka some years before.

     At the entrance of the temple, there is a hall called Parivedan mandapam. Sculptured image of Vezhmugathu Vinayakar in sitting and standing postitions are kept on either side of the mandapam. To the front of the Artha mandapam, there is a dwajasthambam (Flag Staff). The Mukha mandapam is where the idols of Sarva Siddhi Vinayakar, Meenakshi Sundareswarar, Idumban, Sri Vallalar, and Pamban Swamigal are found along with the image of Mari Chettiyar.

     The area covered by the temple is about eight acres. The moolavar Sri Kandaswamy, which was brought from Thiruporur is two feet high and Sri Valli and Sri Deivayanai are on either side of this presiding deity.

     The Uthsava moorthi is known as Sri Muthukumaraswamy with consorts Valli and Deivayanai and is enshrined in a separate shrine before a big uthsava mandapam.

     There is also a separate shrine near the temple tank for Sri Kulakkarai Vinayagar with Siddhi and Buddhi as his consort’s shrine. Near this Vinayagar shrine there is also a separate shrine for Sri Kasi Viswanathar and Goddess Visalakshi.

     The annual Bhramotsavam is celebrated in the month of Thai. The day following the Thai Poosam festival, witnesses a procession of Subramanyar to the Kachabeswarar temple in George Town, for the float festival.


     Vasanta Utsavam is celebrated in the month of Vaikasi. Arudra Darisanam is celebrated in the month of Margazhi where the processional image of Nataraja is taken out in a grand procession.

---

Page URL: http://www.chennainetwork.com/chennai/kandhakottam.html

---

© 2001 Chennainetwork.com  Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Your Suggestions