Temple Visits of Parantharami Mani

       Agasteeswarar Temple, Villivakkam.  It is said that sage Agasthiya wherever he goes used to worship Siva in Linga form and if he does not find one use to make one and worship it. That's why we find so many Agasteeswarar temple.  It is a  chola era temple as evidenced by the inscription on the walls. The main temple is facing south with a mottai gopuram and as you enter the Sannidhi of Goddess Sornambigai is there facing south. The moolavar Agasteeswarar is in beautiful Linga form facing east. This is a parikara sthalam and Angaragan is believed to have taken bath in the temple tank and got Vimochanam.  People with Angaraga dosham visit the temple in large numbers.  There are shrines for Vinayaka, Subramanyar, Bairavar and Navagraha as in any siva temple. The temple is in Sivan Koil Street and a km away from Villivakkam bus stand.

        Thiru Valiswaram or Bharadwajeswarar Temple, Kodambakkam.  This temple is situated in a by lane off Best Hospital. It is so called because the sage Bharadwaj and Vali worshipped the Sivalinga in this temple.  There are stucco statues of both facing the main shrine  Moolavar is called Bharadwajeswarar and Ambal in a standing posture facing south is called Swarnambigai.  There are separate shrines for Vinayaka, Subramanya, Bairavar, Ramanadheswar and Navagraha.  It is said that the temple is more than 700 years old and some chola era inscriptions are there on the west and north walls.  However one cannot find anything may be due to the fact that the temple was renovated in 2015 and many additions have been made.There is a chola era Adhi Ganapathy in standing posture which is kept just outside the main shrine.  The sthala viruksha is Nagalinga Tree.

       This is a East India Company Era temple of Kachaleeswarar situated in Armenian Street. The legend of Kachaleeswarar is similar to that of Kalyana Varadaraja Perumal Temple at Kaladipet (Collettpet) Dubash Dalawai Chettiar used to visit Kancheepuram Kachabeswarar Temple regularly.  Once he could not return to Madras due to bad weather.To his surprise all the work which he has to do in Madras was done  by Lord Shiva and  he also revealed himself to Chettiar at this place. Chettiar immediately thought of building a temple to Shiva at this place started it in 1725 and Kumbabhishekam was performed in 1728. Here Lord Shiva is portrayed with five faces that of Sadashivamoorthy along with his consort Manonmani. The main Goddess Soundarambigai is having a separate shrine. Surya Bagawan in Navagriha shrine is with his consorts Usha and Pradusha.  There is a beautiful temple tank at the back and an Agraharam on three sides called Kachaleeswarar Agraharam.  A small pretty temple ti v

       This is a Chola Era temple situated near Koyambedu bus terminus. This temple was built during the reign of Chola king Kulothunga Chozhan III in 12th century. It was renovated and additions made during Vijayanagar era.  The main deity Kurungqaleeswarar is facing north unlike other temples. The Ambal here is called Dharmasamvardhini alias Aram Valarthanayagi. Legend says that the sons of Rama Lava and Kusa who were staying in sage Valmikis hermitage here in order to avert the sin of fighting their father were asked to worship Lord Shiva. The little boys made a Linga short in form called Kurungaleeswarar and worshipped it. In the main sannidhi there are idols of 63 Nayanmars, Lingothpavar, Chandikeshwara, Durgai and Dakshinamoorthy. The Navagraha shirine is also unique with Surya riding a chariot of seven horses with his wives Usha and Pratyusha. On Sunday evenings there are hundred of devoties witnessing the Raghu Kala Sarabeshwara Pooja  which is done on the mandapam outsi

                 This 400 year old temple is in Nungambakkam near Village Road.  The Sthala pouranam of the temple says that one Bommaraja ruled this area years ago.  Once he had acute stomach paid and Siva came in his dreams and advised him to bathe in the temple tank and he got vimochanam from his pain. Since he prayed to God from his Agam the Lord here is called Agasteeswarar.  This area was rich in palmgroves with Nungupazam and hencecalled Nungambakkam. The presiding deity is facing East and Amman Akilandeswari is facing south.  The temple has a hereditary dharmakartaship starting from the days of Subbu Deiva Nayaka Mudaliyar in mid 18h century who was a Dubash and interpreter in Mayors court of East India Company. He and his successors have dedicated acres of land to the temple which is indicated in the Kalvetu outside the temple in Salivahana era 1730  corresponding to 1808 AD.  The temple has a beautiful tank brimming with water and Pradosham held every month is famous.

  This is a more than 600 year old temple in Villivakkam which is 10 minutes walk from bus terminus. The presiding deity is Sowmya  Damodara Perumal with Amirthavalli Thayar as consort . Sowmya means beautiful. The legend says that in Gokulam Yasodha tied Krishna to a grinding stone (Ural) and he was looking bewitchingly beautiful. Due to this he was called Sowmya Damodaran.  Damodaran is one of the 12 namas of Lord. There are separate shrines for 12 Alwars, Anjaneya and Andal. There is a holy tank near the temple and the Rajagopuram is recently constructed. This is a Prarthana Sthalam and the Annual Brahmotsavam is held in the month of Vaikasi.

This templ is more than a two hundred year old one situated on Muthu Mudali Street near Royapettah police station. The area was inhabited by Mudaliyars and they made many endoments.The main deity is Sundareshwar and Ambal is called  Sornambigai. Vallalar Ramalinga Adigal used to visit this temple in 19th century and there is a shrine for him in the temple. The priest informed that the statue was outside on the junction of the road and was installed inside by local devotees.

  THIRUVETEESWARAR TEMPLE, TRIPLICANE              This is a Siva temple which has been sung by Thirunavukarasar in his Thevaram. It is also called Thevara Vaipputhalam, Both the Lingam and the Idol of Shebagambigai are Suyambu.  There is a cut in the crown of the Lingam and hence the God was called Thiruveteeswarar. Legend says that when Arjuna was in penance for getting Pasupatha Asthiram the Lord was hit on his forehead and hence the mark. There is also a separate shrine for Kasi Viswanathar and Visalakshi Amman. Tamizh thatha U.Ve.Swaminatha Iyer lived in his house nearby called "Thiagaraja Vilasam". The Annual Vinayaka Chathurthi procession used to start from here.  It is off Triplicane High Road after crossing Pycrofts Road junction.