VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT

Tuesday 22 March 2016

Madras War Cemetery, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

22^nd, March, 2016.

After darshan of Sri Thirumoolanathar returned on the same route. Before Porur tollgate missed to take diversion and went straight for about 3 KM. Crossed the center median and returned back. While crossing Nandambakkam Madras war cemetery thought of visiting that cemetery also. Even though I, passed through this place and some how visiting this place was not materialized. Found difficult to park the vehicle in front of the cemetery. Due to road widening it ate some of the foot path space and steps were constructed on both sides from the end of the road.

The cemetery plaques are erected in a regular and equal space. Flowering plants were grown front of each plaques. There are 865 commonwealth burials, which is inclusive of 14 Australians and 5 New Zealanders of second world war 1939 to 1945. The graves are not only for the soldiers but also for the foreign nationals who lost their lives during the war. It is sad to note that soldiers were died at the age of 19 & 20, without even not knowing this material world. This was established during 1952 by the imperial war Graves commission and now known as Commonwealth Graves Commission.

There is a memorial wall constructed with the names inscribed to those soldiers, who lost their lives during the world war between 1914 to 1918 and buried elsewhere. This is only a memorial and not the grave.

CONTACT DETAILS :

Telephone number : 044 1628 507200 & Fax 1628 771208

The commonwealth War Graves Commission, No 2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Bershire SL67DX, England.

Email : casualty.enq@cwgc.org.

Website : www.cwgc.org

HOW TO REACH :

Nandambakkam is about 5 KM from airport and 1 KM from St Thomas Mount.

All the buses from T Nagar, Broadway, High Court, via Guindy to Porur or Poonamallee passes through Nandambakkam

Just opposite to Chennai Trade Center on the Bangalore highway.

LOCATION :CLICK HERE

A panoramic view of the cemetery

The memorial wall where the persons died elsewhere and names are inscribed on this wall

Flower was placed by a well wisher to a wireless operator and gunner who died at the age of 20

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Sri Thirumoolanathar Temple at Puzhal, Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu.

22^nd March, 2016.

Last Sunday ie 20^th March 2016, had been to Puzhal Thirumoolanathar dharshan. One of my friend whose residence is very near to the temple wants to come my home along with his brother on Sunday afternoon in a hot summer heat ( I do not wants them to travel a long distance especially on Sunday after noon ). Since I visited this Puzhal Sri Thirumoolanathar temple about 10 years before, thought of visiting once again and pay a visit to his house. To know more details about the temple, searched in the web site and I could not get any details, except real estates.

From Velachery chosen the outer ring road ( Chennai by pass road) which ends at Puzhal, to avoid traffic of Ashoknagar- Vadapalani- Koyambedu – Annanagar – Rettai Yeri route. The traffic was also less on Sunday. The route is okay to ride on my scooter except on some places.

To my surprise there were lot of changes in and around the temple. Outer prakaram was paved with tiles after raising the floor level of 2 feet, sannadhis are also constructed for Anjaneyar, Mahaprirthyangara Devi, Sarabeswarar. And inside tiles also paved on the floors and walls are also fixed with tiles. 63var was also installed in L shape. The inscriptions are damaged and some of the stones with inscriptions were used for steps during renovation.

Moolavar   : Sri Thirumoolanathar
Consort : Sri Sornambigai.

Some of the important details of this temple are...
The temple is facing east with Dwajasthambam, balipeedam and Rishabam. In koshtam Niruthiya Lingam, Dhakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu ( in place of Lingothbavar), Brahma and Durgai. Moolavar looks beautiful in Nagaabarana kavasam.

Sannadhi for Sri Maha Ganapathy, Sri Anjaneyar, Maha Prithiyangara Devi, Sarabeswarar, Sri Kasi Viswanathar & Visalakshi, Nagar,  Navagrahas, Bhairavar, chandikeswarar.

In the inner prakaram sannadhi for Sakthi Ganapathy,  Shiva Lingam, Gajalakshmi, Veerabhadrar, Valli Devasena Subramaniyar, Astothara Lingam,  Maha Saraswathy, 63var, Swarna akarshna Bhairavar, Chandran, Suryan and a mandapam.

Ambal is in a separate temple like sannadhi with koshtam. In koshtam Maashentri, Varahi, Brahmani, Maheswari & Narayani.

There is a under ground passage and it is believed that it goes to Thirumullaivayil and Thiruvotriyur.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
It is believed, that the temple is 1300 years old and constructed during 10^th Century Pallava period, latter extended / reconstructed during Chozhas and Vijayanagaras.

inscription stone is used as a step

inscription back side of Ambal sannadhi

LEGENDS
It was believed that Sundarar, Thirumoolar worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple ( Hence called as Thirumoolanathar ). Agasthiyar had seen Lord Shiva’s kalyana kolam in the Shiva Lingam.

TEMPLE TIMINGS :
The temple is kept open between 06.30 hrs to 11.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS :

Gurukal Natarajam may be contacted over his mobile 9566258425. For further details.

HOW TO REACH : Puzhal is on the way to Red hills on the Nellore route and lot of town buses are available from Koyambedu.
Get down at overhead tank bus stop (opposite to Puzhal new prison ) and the temple is about 1 KM off main road.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE:CLICK HERE