RAMANATHEESHWARAR TEMPLE - GURU - PORUR

 Ramanatheeshwarar Temple in Chennai - Porur

Navagraha temple in Chennai – Guru Parihara Kshetram.

The Ramanatheeshwarar temple in Porur is associated with Shri Rama, who prayed to Lord Shiva to pardon him from the sin of, touching the Shiva Linga with his feet unknowingly. Porur was also known as Uttara Rameshwaram.

Lord Rama was wandering in the forest in search of Sita when he came to the area now known as Porur, and was resting under a Nellikai ( Amla)(Phyllanthus Emlica or Indian Gooseberry) tree. He realized that there is a Shivalingam beneath his feet, under the ground and his feet had touched the head of the Shivalinga unknowingly.

In order to atone from this sin (Guru Dosham) & to bring the Shivalinga out of the ground, Lord Rama prayed to the Shivalinga for 48 days, eating only one Nellikai every day as his food.

Lord Shiva pleased with the devotion came out of the earth and gave his Vishwaroopa Darshan to Shri Rama.

He also guided Shri Rama to the place where Sita was held captive by the Asura hordes of Ravana. As Shri Rama was guided by Lord Shiva, he worshipped Lord Shiva as his Guru & hence the place is also known as Guru Sthalam in the Navagraha Temple sequence in Chennai. As Rama had worshipped Lord Shiva, hence he is known as Ramanatheeswarar. Lord Shiva is worshipped as the Guru Bhagawan. There isn’t a separate shrine for Guru Bhagawan in this temple.

The current concrete structural temple was built by Kulothunga Chola II during the later half of the 12th century. And hence the temple is more than 800 years old. The temple built by Kulothunga Chola had only the Garbhagriha, Amman Sannidhi and the open Nandi Peetham in the Praharam.

The sanctum sanctorum ( Garbha Griha ) is apsidal or “D” shaped (Gajaprishta Garbhagriha) (also described as shaped like the back of a sleeping elephant), (Thoonganai Maadam ) like some of the Chola temples in and around Chennai. The Garbhagriha is placed on a raised platform of 2 feet. The Shivalinga is 6 Ft in height from the Avudayar to the head of the lingam and faces the east. Sandigeshwarar is seen in a peculiar position facing the South. The goddess is known as Sivagama Sundari and her shrine also faces south.

This is probably the only Shiva temple were theertham and Sadari (Kridam) are offered to devotees, which is a very common practice in Vishnu temples.

All other construction including the Mukha Mandapam, Rajagopuram, Vimana over the Garbhagriha,additional shrines to various gods and goddesses, including Vinayaka, Valli,Devayanai sametha Kumaran,Nataraja,Kalabhairava, Navagraha and Shaneeswara shrines have been built only in the last 10 to 15 years. The temple’s Rajagopuram is 5 tiered, which leads into a compound. On entering the compound you can see the Dhwaja Sthamba and Nandi.

Navagraha Temples in Chennai Kundrathur

There is a cluster of Navagraha temples in Chennai, erstwhile Thondai Nadu in and around Kundrathur.

• Agatheeswarar Temple - Suryan – Kolapakkkam – 4.8 KM from Porur.

• Somanaadheeswarar Temple - Chandran – Somangalam - 25 KM from Porur.

• Vaidheeswaran Temple - Angaragan - Poovirundhavalli( Poondhamalli) – 7.4 KM from Porur

• Sundareswarar Temple - Budhan – Kovur – 5.4 KM from Porur

• Ramanaadheeswarar Temple - Guru – Porur – 1.1KM from Porur

• Velleeswarar Temple - Sukran – Mangadu – 7.4 KM from Porur

• Agatheeswarar Temple - Shaneeswaran - Pozhichalur

• Neelakandeswarar Temple - Kethu – Gerugambakkam – 8.8 KM from Porur

• Nageshwarar Temple - Rahu – Kundratthur - 9.3 KM from Porur.

This was founded by Thiyagaraja Gurukkal and Bhuvaneshwari and their family published a small sized book of Navagraha sthala puranam in Chennai.

Timing : 06.00 to 11.30 & 05.00 to 08.30.