SHIVA - THE COSMIC DANCER

  THIRUVOTRIYUR THYAGARAJASWAMY TEMPLE....! The Adipurishwarar and Thyagarajaswamy Thiagarajaswamy Temple in Tiruvotriyur is more famously known as Vadivudai Amman Temple. The huge temple complex stands majestically in this bustling commercial and industrial area on the outskirts of Chennai. The temple was originally built by the Pallavas and later rebuilt by the great king, Rajendra Chola I.The Chola kings, who were reigning in Thondainadu (this area), patronized the worship of Shiva. King Rajendra Chola rebuilt the central shrine of Adipureeswarar and a vimanam (dome) of black stone was added.... The uniqueness of this temple is that devotees from six sects of Hinduism perform poojas here. Followers of Shiva, Vishnu and Shakthi andUchavar, AdiSaivites and Namboodris (from Kerala) come to this temple and worship the manifestations of Shiva and Shakthi....! Thiruvotriyur is about 10 kms from Chennai,the capital of Tamil Nadu. This temple is a Paadal Petra Sthalam, a holy place praised

  VENGEESHWARAR or VYAGHARAESHWARAR TEMPLE - VADAPALANI - CHENNAI. #mntamilnadu #mnchennai Across the street from the Vadapalani Murugan temple is the equally big temple of Bhagavan Shiva as VENGEESHWARAR or VYAGHARAESHWARAR, (Vengee in Tamil and Vyaghara in Sanskrit mean Tiger) so called as it was prayed to by the Sages Patanjali & Vyagharapada, who had waited in Chidambaram to witness the Cosmic Dancer Nataraja dance. The temple has a seven tiered Rajagopuram facing east and three small gopuram on the other three sides. The Rajagopuram is flanked by Surya & Chandra I side on both sides. Entering through this Rajagopuram, one comes on to a courtyard which has the Mukhamandapam consisting the Balipeedham, Dhwajasthambam & Nandi Mandapam with a small Nandi. This modern hall leads to an Ardhamandapam made of stone pillars which look to be incomplete. In the south side of the compound is a big Manimandapam or Bell tower. Inside the Ardhamandapam, facing the lord is Sage P

  Kurungaleeswarar Temple in Koyambedu,Chennai Koyambedu in Chennai derives its name from, KO = Horse, Ambu = Arrow, Pedu = Fence( Veli in Tamil). The place is where the Ashram of Rishi Valmiki was located. The twins Lava and Kusha were born here & they arrested the horse of Shri Rama by building a fence of arrows around it. In this place is the Temple of Kurungaleeswarar, which is around 1500 years old and was built by the Medieval Cholas. A Chola king had driven his chariot over the lingam and a portion of the avudayar sank into the mud. As blood started flowing from the lingam, the King, Built the Temple to propitiate to the Lord and seek forgivance. Rama sent his pregnant wife Sita to the forest based upon the accusation of a washerman, saying he accepted his wife in spite of her staying in the place of his enemy for some time. The pregnant Sita gave birth to twins named Lava & Kusha in the Valmiki Asharam here. Shri Rama was holding an Aswamedha sacrifice, and the horse

 KANDHAZHEESHWARAR TEMPLE - KUNDRATHUR Shiva as Kandhazheeswarar Kandhal(Dirt) Azhippavar(Remover) form our hearts or (Lord who removes evil from our hearts and purifies it), Is the name of the lord in this temple of Kandhazheeshwarar who is in the form of a Lingam of around five feet. The Avudayar or Pindika is square inside a Garbha Griha, which is in the Gaja prishtha form or Apsidal or D shaped, with a Vimana matching it's Garbhagriha. Parvathi as Nagaimukavalli The temple is in the town of Kundrathur,in Chennai. Towards his left is the goddess Nagaimukavalli, standing beautifully facing South. Vishnu Durga Narthana Vinayaka The entrance to the temple is through a Mukhadwaram, which leads into a compound. At the centre of the compound is the entrance to the mukhamandapam, at the end of which is the sanctum of the goddess. Towards her right and facing east is the sanctum of Lord Shiva. Lingothbhavar

  ETTESHWARAR TEMPLE - AYANAMBAKKAM - CHENNAI Etteswarar Temple – Ayanambakkam. The name of the area Ayanamabakkam is derived from the word Ayan, which is another name of Brahma. Brahma and Surya worshipped lord Etteswarar in this Temple in Chennai, small but elegant temple, just about three Km’s from Mugappair. The temple is more than a 1000 years and seems to have been consecrated by the Chola's and by the later kingdom including Vijayanagara. The main deity is Lord Shiva known as Etteshwarar ETTU = EIGHT, ESHWARAR = LORD. Lord Shiva is the Adhipathi of the eight Cardinal directions. His consort Parvathi is known as Karpagambal. The lord is also known as tirupurandeeshwarar. In and around the temple there are supposed to be eight lingams, which has been either lost in time, or the plots where the lingam are, are illegally occupied and hence not accesscible. The Temple has no Vimana or the Vimana has fallen down and was never reconstructed. The entrance is through a Gate facing

  Vimeeshwarar Temple – Salamangalam Near Padappai. Shri. Mahalingam, the Gurukkal of Vimeeshwarar temple, took a stone and struck the horizontally lying pillar outside the Ardhamandapa and produced music.(sapta Swarangal). Enthusiastically he was praising the lord. He has done 40 years of Shiva Pani in the Temple. Refuses money and requests for material’s for pooja. The temple is in a place called Salamangalam, about 2 KM’s away from Padappai. The temple is about half a KM inside from the highway amongst thick foliage and cannot be seen from the main road. As per the gurukkal,there is supposed to be nine Theertham around the temple, which has been lost to time. As per him this is the 18th temple in the series of GajaPrishtha Temples built by Kulothunga Chola around 1073 AD. Vimeeshwarar is so named after the belief that (Adipathi of Vin Meengal) the Lord of Stars in the Universe, Or Lord of the Shooting Star’s. The Adipathi or Lord of our Universe consisting the nine planets is Surya

DHENUPUREESWARAR TEMPLE - MADAMBAKKAM - CHENNAI Dhenupureeswarar Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Madambakkam near Tambaram,Chennai. (3 KM’s from Rajakizhapakkam).  Lord Shiva in the form of a Swayambhu Lingam(Self manifested Lingam) is known as Dhenupureeswarar, because he gave moksha to Kapila Muni in the form of a Cow (Dhenu or Kamadhenu).The Sage Kapila, is said to have been reborn as a cow for his sin of having improperly worshiped a Shiva Lingam. King Sagara(Ocean) was peforming the Ashwamedha Yagna. The Royal Horse which was let loose was stolen by Indra, who tied it in Sage Kapila’s ashram. The sons of Sagara who were on the lookout for the horse found it in the ashram and thought it must have been stolen by sage Kapila. They called Sage Kapila a thief and broke his meditation. The sage saw the 60000 sons of Sagara and in his anger uttered the word “Hmm”, instantly all the sons of sagara were burnt to ashes. He was repentant of his act and in order to