Ashthadikapala Temples - 7
ESANYA LINGAM
PASHUPATEESHWARAR & GNYANESHWARI TEMPLE - SENEERKUPPAM - KOLADI- TIRUVERKADU-CHENNAI
Esanya or Esania is the God and regent of the cardinal direction of the North-East.He is also one of the seven Rudras of Shiva. He is covered with ashes and surrounded by ghosts or bhootas.
Matted locks,fiery eyes seated on a tiger skin, crescent moon on his forehead,Ganga flowing out of his locks, adorned with coiled Naga, Damru & Trishul in his hands describes Shiva as the Esania
This temple is dedicated to lord Shiva as PASHUPATEESHWARAR in the form of a Lingam and represents ISANA as the regent of the NORTH - EAST cardinal direction, in the list of Ashthadikapala temples surrounding the Vedapureeshwarar temple in Tiruverkadu near Chennai.
This is a small but beautiful temple with a very new construction not more than 10 years. Before this in an open ground on a raised pedal was placed this Lingam, for which timelines cannot be ascertained. There was no temple around this Lingam.
Being part of the Ashthadikapala temples surrounding the Vedapureeshwarar Temple, this Lingam could be presumed to be from the time of the reign of the great CHOLA King KULOTHUNGA CHOLA II, (1133 - 1150 CE) about 800 years ago or moreand must have passed through many dynasties. Did the great King build a temple here? Atleast there is no proof of the same.
Significantly there was only the lingam ISANA Lingam, but today the same is converted into a temple, thanks to the locals. In the Garbhagriha is the lingam facing east along with bronze sculptures of Shiva and Parvati as Gnyaneshwari are additions.
Comments
Post a Comment