Sri Nambalishwarar Temple/ ஸ்ரீ நம்பாலீஸ்வரர் கோயில், பெரியபாளையம்/ Periyapalayam, Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sri Nambalishwarar Temple at Periyapalayam was a part of “Gajabrushta / Gajaprishta Vimana Temples Visit” in Thiruvallur District on 22^nd March 2026. The temple is on the banks of the Arani River, also called the Brahmaranya River during ancient times. 

Moolavar    : Sri Nambalishwarar

Consort      : Sri Maragathavalli

Some of the salient features of this temple are….

The temple faces east with a 3-tier Rajagopuram on the south side entrance. Stucco images of Shiva with Parvati (Nandi Devar and Suka Munivar are in a worshipping posture on both sides), Vinayagar and Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar are on the top of the mukha mandapam. Stucco images of Shiva and Parvati as Rishabaroodar and Srinivasa Perumal with Sridevi and Bhudevi are on the top of the east side wall. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Rishabam are on the east side. Moolavar is a little short, in a square avudaiyar. Utsavars are on the back side of the sanctum sanctorum. In koshtam, Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, Brahma and Durgai. Nalvar and Natarajar with Sivakami are in the inner praharam.

Ambal Maragathavalli is in a separate sannidhi that faces south. Ambal is in a standing posture with abhaya varada hastam.

In the outer praharam, Amirta Vinayagar, Ayyappan, Nagathamman with an anthill, Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Chandikeswarar, Bairavar, Saniswaran, loose sculptures, Anjaneyar, Navagrahas, Vahana mandapam, and office room.  

Sri Srinivasa Perumal with Sridevi and Bhudevi sannidhi is in the mukha mandapam. Garudan is opposite the sannidhi.

 Srinivasa Perumal with Sridevi and Bhudevi

 Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar

ARCHITECTURE

The whole temple was constructed as a Gajaprishta Vimanam from adhistanam to sigaram with bricks and concrete. The temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam and open mukha mandapam (South side). The sanctum sanctorum with vimanam is of the Gajabrushta style. The sanctum sanctorum is on an adhistanam with jagathy, threepatta kumudam and pattikai. The bhitti starts with vedikai. The pilasters are of Brahma kantha pilasters with kalasam, kudam, lotus petals mandi, palakai, veerakandam and vettu pothyal. The koshtas are of the sala style. A two-tala vimanam, greevam and sigaram are on the bhumi desam. Natarajar, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, and Brahma  are on the tala and greeva koshtams. A stucco image of Shiva in abhaya varada hastam is on the lalada nasi. 5 kalasas are on the sigaram.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

It is believed that the temple belongs to the 8th to 9th century Pallava period, and the Srinivasa Perumal Sannidhi was added during the Vijayanagara period. The temple maintains the Pallava-period brick structure.

Thirupani was started on 07^th September 1988, and Maha kumbhabhishekam was conducted after the thirupani.   

Dwajasthambam was gifted by M/s M Kothandarama Naidu, K Jyothikothandaraman, and K Dineshkumar. Maha kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 11^th July 2016.

It is said that Parvatha Hills Sivaguru Sri Mallikarjunar’s disciple Thiriloka Yoga Thandar Sivakarunandar Siddhar came to this temple and did Uzhavarapani and Thiruvilakku poojas.

The details of this Telugu inscription will be written

LEGENDS

It is believed that Kamadhenu and Valmiki Maharishi worshipped Shiva at this temple.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular oru kala poojas, special poojas are conducted on Tamil New Year, Vinayagar Chaturthi, Adi Pooram, Gokulashtami, Krishnar Jayanti, Srinivasa Perumal Thirumanjanam and Unjal Seva in Puratasi, Karthigai Deepam, Thai month Thiruvilakku Pooja, Panguni Ramanavami, Pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, etc.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open from 07.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and from 17.00 hrs to 19.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

HOW TO REACH

The temple at Periyapalayam is about a km from the bus stand.

Buses are available from Chennai, Madhavaram, and Red Hills. The temple is about 17.6 km from Uthukottai, 21 km from Gummidipundi & Ponneri, 25 km from Red Hills, 33 km from Thiruvallur, and 40 km from Koyambedu.

The nearest railway stations are Gummidipundi and Ponneri.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

 Nagathamman Sannidhi

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Sri Vanmikinathar Temple / ஸ்ரீ வன்மீகநாதர் கோயில், Cheyyur / செய்யூர், Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu.

The temple is inside the town of Cheyyur. It is a Chozha Period temple. The mandapam pillars in front of Ambal have a lot of sculptures. Shiva and Ambal of various temples are sculpted on all the pillars. These pillars might be additions after a later stage.

 

Kodimaram (Dwajasthambam), Balipeedam, and Rishabam mandapam.

Moolavar     :  Sri Vanmikanathar

Consort       :  Sri Mithambigai

Some of the important features of this temple are …

The temple faces east with a 3-tier Rajagopuram and a mandapam. Balipeedam and Rishabam are on the east side of the outer praharam. Dwarapalakas Suvdhan and Sumugan are on either side of the sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar is on round avudaiyar. Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma, and Durgai are in the koshtam.

Ambal is in a separate sannidhi that faces south. Dwarapalakas Jai and Vijay are on either side of the sanctum sanctorum. Ambal is in a standing posture with abhaya varada hastam.

In the outer praharam sannadhi for Saptamatrikas, Vinayagar, Subramaniar, and Chandikeswarar. 

In front of the temple, there is a Vinayagar Sannidhi, and Murugan is standing without a sannidhi –in the open sky - also called Brahma Sastha.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, and maha mandapam. The temple was built with stone from adhistanam to prastaram.  

One pillar has the sculptures of Manuneethi Chozhan's story around the four sides of the pillar.  In the main pillars leading to Ambal sannidhi, the horses are driven by ladies, which I had not seen anywhere.  At the entrance of the artha mandapam on the right side, Mayura Subramaniyar is worth seeing, dancing on his vahana, the peacock.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The temple belongs to the 10th to 12th century Chozha period and later received contributions from Vijayanagaras. 

LEGENDS

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

This temple is dedicated to Uthra Nakshatra and is a parihara sthalam.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open from 07.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

 

CONTACT DETAILS  

Chandrasekara Gurukkal may be contacted for darshan and pooja through his landline at 04427 531200.

HOW TO REACH

The temple is about 300 meters from the Cheyyur bus stand, 23 km from Koovathur, 23 km from Melmaruvathur, 37 km from Kalpakkam, 49 km from Mahabalipuram, and 57 km from Chengalpattu. 

The nearest Railway Station is Melmaruvathur. 

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE 

  

Chozha period Sri Vinayagar in front of the Temple.

Sri Subramaniar - Sri Brahma Sastha, standing in the open sky, looks new.

Macha Muni bas-relief/ some claims as Varuna sitting on his vahana on the mandapam pillar

Ambal temple Mandapam pillars, ladies are riding on a horse

Varahi Amman bas-relief on the mandapam pillar.

Bas-relief on the ceiling - (solar eclipse ) and Sri Chakra in the middle

Mayura Subramaniar - Dancing on the Peacock - A rare Sculpture

Tiger face on the stomach of a bhuta/ dwarf on the prastaram valapi - this is actually bhuta vari and the face in the belly is called keerthi mukha / tiger belly - seems to be a standard feature in early Chozha temples - to see one of the bhuta ganas shown like this, please click the link: http://poetryinstone.in/tag/tiger-belly ( With the permission of Mr Vijay) 

Beautiful  Pichadanar

Nandi devar in the front mandapam

Vedhalam bas-relief with an owl's face in one of the pillars between Ambal and Shiva's Sannadhi. In those days, people used to worship by lighting lamps on the pillar.  Now it is being used for putting out vibhuthi.

Three-tier Rajagopuram with Stone pillars to erect a Pandal for the important functions (Similar arrangement also available at Thiruvarur Temple).

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Sri Kandaswamy Temple/ ஸ்ரீ கந்தசுவாமி கோயில், 27 Star Vedalam Temple, Cheyyur/ செய்யூர், Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this temple was part of the Jain sculptures at Onambakkam and Cheyyur Temples. This is the 16th-century Murugan temple. This temple is within the town of Cheyyur.

 

 View of the mandapam with Peacock mandapam and balipeedam on both sides.

Anthakakavi, Veeraraghava Mudaliar's Seyur Kalambagam, Murugadasa Swamigal's Seyur Murugan Pathiga Kovai, Sivaprakasa Swamigal's Nenjuvidu Thoothu, and Arunagirinathar have sung hymns in praise of Shri Subramaniar/ Kandaswamy of this temple. 

முகிலாமெனும் வார்குழ லார்சிலை

     புருவார்கயல் வேல்விழி யார்சசி

          முகவார்தர ளாமென வேநகை ...... புரிமாதர்

முலைமாலிணை கோபுர மாமென

     வடமாடிட வேகொடி நூலிடை

          முதுபாளித சேலைகு லாவிய ...... மயில்போல்வார்

அகிசேரல்கு லார்தொடை வாழையின்

     அழகார்கழ லார்தர வேய்தரு

          அழகார்கன நூபுர மாடிட ......      நடைமேவி

அனமாமென யாரையு மால்கொள

     விழியால்சுழ லாவிடு பாவையர்

          அவர்பாயலி லேயடி யேனுட ......  லழிவேனோ

ககனார்பதி யோர்முறை கோவென

     இருள்காரசு ரார்படை தூள்பட

          கடலேழ்கிரி நாகமு நூறிட ......    விடும்வேலா

கமலாலய நாயகி வானவர்

     தொழுமீசுர னாரிட மேவிய

          கருணாகர ஞானப ராபரை ......     யருள்பாலா

மகிழ்மாலதி நாவல்ப லாகமு

     குடனாடநி லாமயில் கோகில

          மகிழ்நாடுறை மால்வளி நாயகி ......மணவாளா

மதிமாமுக வாவடி யேனிரு

     வினைதூள்பட வேயயி லேவிய

          வளவாபுரி வாழ்மயில் வாகன ...... பெருமாளே.

.... அருணகிரிநாதர்

Moolavar    : Sri Kandaswamy 

Consort      : Sri Valli and Devasena

Some of the important features of this temple are...

The temple faces east with dwajasthambam, balipeedam and Peacock vahana. Dwarapalakas Suveran and Sujanan are on either side of the ardha mandapam. A peacock vahana is in front of the sanctum sanctorum. Vinayagar, Durgai and Dwarapalakas are on either side of the sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar Kandaswamy, along with Sri Valli Devasena, is in the sanctum sanctorum. In koshtam, Niruthakandhar, Brahma Sastha, Balaskandhar, Sivagurunathar, and Pulinthar (Villenthiya Velan – Vedan) are the five forms of Sri Murugan.

Sri Somanathar and Ambal Meenakshi are in a separate sannidhi (Both are in the same sannidhi), and believed that the Shiva Lingam was installed and worshipped by Sri Murugan of this temple. Rishabam is in front of the sannidhi. Brahma and Maha Vishnu are on either side of the sanctum sanctorum, as dwarapalakas.   

In the front mandapam, Guha Suriyan, Chandikeswarar, Bairavar, Somanathar & Meenakshi Ambal and Navagrahas. There is no Ganapathy sannidhi; instead, there are 9  Vinayagar sannidhis around the temple of this village.

In the outer praharam, Samkara Moorthy, Sandeswarar, Vinayagar, Kzhukkunrar, Kailasanathar, Sinanantha Valli, Brahma, Vishnu, Veerabahu, Sri Palani Nayagar, Astharadevar, and Dhandapani.

PULINTHAR- Vedan - (வில்லேந்திய  வேலன்  /சுப்ரமணியர்) 

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, maha mandapam, and mukha mandapam. 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

It is believed that the temple is more than 1000 years old, but no evidence has been found to prove its antiquity. Based on the Thirupukazh sung by Arunagirinathar and the architecture, the temple might have been constructed in the 15th century, during the Vijayanagara period. 

27 Vedalams were installed around the compound wall, which is connected to 27 Nakshatras in a later stage after 1944. (There is no mention of this in the Sthala Purana written by Mr Muthiah Mudaliar).

LEGENDS

As per the legend, to kill the demon Soorapadman, Murugan worshipped Shiva at this temple to get rid of obstacles. First, Murugan received the spear from his mother, Pravati, at Sikkal and came to Perumperkandikai and did sakthi pooja and converted as a Sakthi Vel. At Thiruporur, Murugan fights with Soorapadman in the akasha. Soorapadman escaped from there with his mythical power. Worried, Murugan worshipped Shiva at this temple. Satisfied with his worship, Shiva appeared in the form of Bairavar and blessed him. Shiva ordered the 27 Nakshatra Vedalams to help Murugan to vanquish Soorapadman. With the help of 27 Nakshatra vedalams, Murugan killed Soorapadman at Thiruchendur. Hence, the 27 Nakshatra Vedalam are installed inside the temple premises.  

This is also the 27 nakshatra parihara sthalam. Hence, the devotees worship the respective vedalam and do pariharam. 

Since Murugan, the son (Sei - சேய்) of Shiva, worshipped him, this place was called Seyur, which has been corrupted to Cheyyur. 

 

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Tuesdays, Ani Kiruthigai, Thaipoosam, and Soora Samharam. 

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open from 07.00 hrs to 11.30 hrs and from 16.30 hrs to 21.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

The priest may be contacted on his mobile number +919444729512 for further details. 

HOW TO REACH

The temple is about 300 meters from the Cheyyur bus stand, 23 km from Koovathur, 23 km from Melmaruvathur, 37 km from Kalpakkam, 49 km from Mahabalipuram, and 57 km from Chengalpattu. 

The nearest Railway Station is Melmaruvathur. 

 

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

 

Mandapam pillar sculptures

Dwarapalakas

Vedhalam for my Birth Star

Mayura Subramaniar or Villenthiya Velan, with a bow in his right hand, has bas-reliefs on the mandapam pillar.

The Nakshatra with the respective Vedhalam  details 

Bas-relief of Ambal is doing dhabas on the mandapam pillar ( The sthala purana of  Mangadu Amman )

Shiva's Oorthuva Thandavam, a bas-relief on a pillar

Murugan is in a sannidhi on the road.

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Hero Stone at Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum / राजा दिनकर केळकर संग्रहालय, Kamal Kunj, Bajirao Rd, Natu Baag, Shukrawar Peth, Pune, Maharashtra.

 

PERIOD            : 12th, century       

DIMENSION      : 0.86 × 0.38 × 0.11 meter

PROVENANCE   : Maharashtra

LOCATION         : Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum

DETAILS           :

This finely carved memorial stone commemorating the death of a hero in a naval battle is depicted on the bottom tier. In the middle tier, the hero was carried to the Shiva Lok by the apsaras.  In the upper panel, the Hero is shown worshipping a Shiva Linga.

  

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Sri Aadhipureeswarar Temple/ ஸ்ரீ ஆதிபுரீஸ்வரர் கோயில், Pon Vilaintha Kalathur/ P V Kalathur, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sri Aadhipureeswarar Temple at Pon Vilaintha Kalathur / P V Kalathur, near Chengalpattu, was part of “Gajaprishta Vimana Temple, in Chengalpattu District”, on 14^th April 2026.   

Moolavar  : Sri Aadhipureeswarar

Consort    : Sri Jothivalarnayagi

Some of the salient features of this temple are….

The temple faces east with a balipeedam and Rishabam. The entrance to the ardha mandapam is from the South. Stucco images of Vinayagar, Shiva, Parvati, and Murugan are on the top of the entrance to the ardha mandapam. Vinayagar and Murugan are at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar is on a round avudaiyar. In the koshtam, Dakshinamurthy and Durgai.

In the praharam of Chandikeswarar, Bairavar, the columns of the old entrance to the temple, Balipeedam, with Simham.

Ambal is in a separate sannidhi that faces south in the ardha mandapam. Ambal is in a standing posture with abhaya varada hastam.

Bairavar

ARCHITECTURE

The original temple belongs to the Chozha period, built with stone. The remains of the old temple entrance can be seen on the south side. The temple consists of a sanctum sanctorum, antarala, and ardha mandapam. The temple was reconstructed in recent years without following any temple architecture. There is no superstructure above the sanctum sanctorum.  

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The original temple belongs to the Chozha period, and it was reconstructed in recent years. Fragment Chozha period inscriptions are found in many places in the temple, including a step stone. A fragment inscription is on the wall, kept upside down during reconstruction.

The temple was reconstructed by the Viswakarmas, and Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 25th April 1994.

This inscription stone is used as a stepping stone

The inscription stone was kept upside down

Reconstruction inscription by Viswakarmas

Chithirai Thiruvizha inscription

LEGENDS

It is believed that the temple was constructed first in this region, but we don’t know the existence of the temple. Hence, Shiva is called Adhipureeswarar.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular oru kala poojas, special poojas are conducted on pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, etc.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open during the morning hours, and the priest is staying nearby.

CONTACT DETAILS

The priest, Mr. Mohan, may be contacted on his mobile number +919944421545 for further details.

HOW TO REACH

The temple is about 500 meters away from the Sri Munkudumeeswarar Temple of Pon Vilaintha Kalathur/P V Kalathur. This place is about 11 km from Thirukalukundram and 12.7 km from Chengalpattu Junction.

The nearest Railway Station is Ottivakkam, and the junction is Chengalpattu.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

Old Entrance to the temple, now encroached

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---