The
visit to this Sri Venkateeswarar Temple, Madurantakam, was a part of “Shiva
Temples and Heritage sites Visit in Madurantakam and Chengalpattu”, on 16th
January 2026. This is one of the Thirupukazh padal petra Sthalam.
The 14th-century saint Arunagirinathar has sung hymns in praise of
Murugan of this temple, in his Thirupukazh as...
குதிபாய்ந்தி
ரத்தம் வடிதொ ளைத்தொக்
கிந்த்ரி யக்கு ரம்பை வினைகூர்தூர்
குணபாண்ட
முற்ற கிலமெ னக்கைக்
கொண்டி ளைத்த யர்ந்து
சுழலாதே
உதிதாம்பரத்தை
யுயிர்கெடப்பொற்
கிண்கி ணிச்ச தங்கை
விதகீத
உபயாம்பு
யப்பு ணையையி னிப்பற்
றுங்க ருத்தை யென்று
தருவாயே
கதைசார்ங்க
கட்கம் வளைய டற்சக்
ரந்த ரித்த கொண்டல்
மருகோனே
கருணாஞ்ச
னக்க மலவி ழிப்பொற்
பைம்பு னக்க ரும்பின்
மணவாளா
மதனாந்த
கர்க்கு மகவெ னப்பத்
மந்த னிற்பி றந்த குமரேசா
மதுராந்த கத்து வடதி ருச்சிற்
றம்ப லத்த மர்ந்த பெருமாளே
Moolavar : Thiruvenkatteeswarar
Consort : Sri Meenakshi
Some
of the salient features of this temple are…
The
temple faces east with a 5-tier Rajagopuram, Vahana mandapam and a Temple tank.
Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Rishabam are immediately after the Rajagopuram.
Utsava mandapam is on the right side. Dwarpalakas are at the entrance of the
maha mandapam. Balipeedam and a Rishabam are in the ardha mandapam. Vinayagar
is at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum. The Moolavar is a little big on a
round avudaiyar. Moolavar’s top is flat.
In
koshtam, Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, Brahma, and Durgai.
In
the inner praharam Nalvar, Natarajar with Sivakami, Shiva Lingam, Nagaras, Sri
Valli Devasena Arumugar, Chandikeswarar, Suryan, and Chatur Kala Bairavars (4
Bairavars- Kala Bairavar, Unmaththa Bairavar, Asithanga Bairavar, and Swarna
Akarshana Bairavar). In the outer praharam, Vinayagar (in the form of a bas
relief on the wall), and Navagrahas.
Ambal
Sri Meenakshi is in a separate sannidhi in the ardha mandapam. Ambal is in a
standing posture with abhaya varada hastam.
Sri Pandeesar, a Shiva Linga with Ambal, images are in front of the Ambal sannidhi.
Pandeesar
Vinayagar on the wall
ARCHITECTURE
The
temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, and ardha mandapam. The sanctum
sanctorum is on a upanam and pada bandha adhistanam, with jagathy, threepatta kumudam
and pattikai. The bhitti starts with vedikai. The pilasters are of Brahma
kantha pilasters. The prastaram consists of valapi with bhuta ganas, kapotam
with nasi kudus & Chandra mandalam, and vyyalavari.
The sanctum sanctorum
was built with stone from upanam to prastaram. The one tala vesara vimanam over
the sanctum sanctorum was built with bricks. Shiva, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu
in greevam and Lingothbavar in the tala, and Brahma are in the tala and greeva
koshtams. The tala with an upari tala was built in nagara style, but the
sigaram was built with vesara style with maha nasis on the cardinal directions.
HISTORY
AND INSCRIPTIONS
The
original temple belongs to the 10th to 11th century Chozha
period (Some people claims as the Pallava period) and received contributions from the Vijayanagara Kings. The temple was reconstructed during the Nayakas period. It is
believed that this temple was constructed during Gandrathitha Chozha’s period. As
per the inscriptions, this place was in Jayangonda Chozha Mandalathu Kalathur
Kottathu, Thaniyur, Madurantaka Chaturvedi Mangalam, etc. Shiva was called Swetharanyeswarar, Thiruvenkadudaiyar, etc.
The
Chozha king Kovi Rajakesaribanmar Thiribhuvana Chakravarthi Rajathi Raja’s
inscription records the endowment of Thirumerpoochchu by the Merchants of
Thinachinthamani street, from which 300 pazhangasu was gifted as a capital.
The endowment has to be carried out through the interest.
The
Chozha king Kulothunga Chozha’s inscription starts with “மதுரையும்
பாண்டியன் முடித்தலையும் கொண்டருளிய வீராபிஷேகமும் விஜயாபிஷேகமும் பண்ணி அருளிய…”, is an incomplete
inscription.
The
Chozha King Thirubhuvana Chakravarthikal Kulothunga Chozha’s 16th
reign year inscription records the endowment of burning a perpetual lamp by
Puliyur Kottam alias, Kulothunga Chozha valanattu Thiruchurathu Kulothunga Chozha Kannappan, Dhusi Adhinayakan
Panchanethivanan alias Kangarayan. For the same 30 cows and bull was gifted to
this temple.
The
Chozha king Rajaraja’s 9th reign year inscription records the gift of land as irayili after purchase for 2 kasus for the Madurai Nayakathevar
Utsavam.
The
Chozha king with the title … கண்டநாடு கொண்டு கொண்ட நாடு
குடாநாடு…
inscription records the endowment
of naivedyam for the same land at Karunguzhi, as thirunamathukani was gifted to
AdhiChandeswarar.
The
Pandya king Kulasekara Pandya’s inscription records the endowment of naivedyam for the Viradhamuditha Pandeeswaramudaiya Nayanar and Bhuvanapathi Nachiyar,
established by Viradhamuditha Perumal’s son Thirunelveliudaiyan of Kaikola
Mudalis. For the same, a land was gifted after purchase from Ilaiya Vasudeva
Battan, his brother Muthunarayana Battan and his brother Ilaya… Battan.
The
Chola king Kulothunga Chozha-I’s 29th reign year inscription records
the endowment of burning a perpetual lamp by Oyma Nattu Perayur Nattu Nagaram
Ulagamahadevipuraththu Mechant Arvalankizhan, to the Kamba Thiruvural
Thiruvenkadudaiyar temple. For the same 90 saava moova, peradu was given, and the
same was received by Gauthaman Thiruvenkadudaiyan Battan, Bharathvasi Sivakavi,
Kasiyappan Pichadeva Battan, and Ponnambala Kooththan.
The
Chozha king Kulothunga Chozha-I’s 35th reign year inscription
records the endowment of burning a perpetual lamp and a Kuththu Vilakku by
Puliyur Nattu Velalar’s daughter Periyal. For the same 96 Saava Moova peradu /
ewes were gifted, and the same were received Thuvajimelmadathan Battan, Thiruvenkadudaiyan
Battan, Bharathvasi Sivakavi, Kasiyappan Pichadeva Battan, and Ponnambala Kooththan.
The
Chozha king Kulothunga Chozha’s 6th reign year inscription records
that Ponvannan Adavallan and Sambuvinen received 20 kasus from this
temple’s treasury. Since they couldn’t pay back, they received 20 Kasu from Adavalan
Ponvannan alias Madurantaka Mooventha Velan, and paid to the Treasury. For the
interest, they gave the lands which they received as irayili. And Nanthavanam was also created.
Kulothunga
Chozha-I’s 15th reign year (165 days), the inscription records that the
stone temple was built by Palli Senkeni Saththan Chozhan, alias Chenapathi
Vanarajar. For his wellbeing a village and lands were gifted to this temple. The
periphery limit of the Village and the lands are given.
This
inscription belongs to the Sri Vyagrapatheswarar Temple at Puliparakoil. This
inscription also records the gift given to this temple.
An 11th-century inscription without a king’s Name and period records the donation of a village, Puvanam alias Vadavinailur, as devadana to the temples of Tiruvenkadudaiyar and
Tiruppulipagavar in Sri Madurantaka Chaturvedi mangalam, except Kalaraiye Naluma
out of Arupattu Araiye Naluma of land, which belonged to the Tirukkuntivara
temple and the devadana given earlier to the temple of Tiruppulipagavar.
11 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு மன்னன் பெயர் கூறப்படாத இக்கல்வெட்டின் இறுதியில்
சில வரிகள் சிதைந்துள்ளன. மதுராந்தக சதுர்வேதி மங்கலத்தில் உள்ள
உடையார் திருவெண்காடுடைய நாயனார் கோயிலுக்கும் மாத்தூர் உடையார் திருப்புலிபகவர் கோயிலுக்கும்
பூவனமான வாதாவிநல்லூர் என்ற ஊர் தேவதானமாக அளிக்கப் பட்டபோது, அவ்வூர் நிலம் அறுபத்து ஆறரையே நாலுமாவில், திருக்குந்திசுரமுடைய
நாயனார் கோயில் தேவதானமும் மற்றும் திருப்புலிபகவர் கோயிலின் பழந்தேவதான நிலமும் ஆகிய
காலரையே நாலு மா நிலமும் நீக்கியபின் மீதமுள்ள நிலமான அறுபத்திரண்டு மாவும் மேற்குறிப்பிட்ட
இரண்டு கோயில்களாகிய திருவெண்காடுடையார் கோயிலுக்கும், திருப்புலிபகவர்
கோயிலுக்கும் தனித்தனியே பிரித்தளித்து எல்லைகளும் பதிவு செய்யப்பட்ட செய்தியையும்
பதிவு செய்கின்றது.
Ref
1. South
Indian Inscriptions Volume- IV.
2. தொல்லியல் நோக்கில் காஞ்சிபுரம் மாவட்டம்,
ச. கிருஷ்ணமூர்த்தி.
LEGENDS
As
per the legend, this place was once a White flower Mandharai tree forest (Bauhinia acuminata L., also known as the Dwarf White
Bauhinia or Snowy Orchid Tree, though some sources may refer to Bauhinia
variegata var. candida for the white-flowered form, both belonging to the
Fabaceae (Pea) family). When all the flowers bloomed, this place looked like Venkadu (வெள்ளை
காடு
– வெண் காடு), hence Shiva was called as Thiruvenkatteeswarar
and in Sanskrit as Swetharanyeswarar.
In
another legend, the white strokes rested on the Mandharai tree, like a
white forest. Hence, Shiva was called Thiruvenkateeswarar.
In
another legend, the white cranes rested on the Mandharai tree, which looked like a
white forest. Hence, Shiva was called Thiruvenkateeswarar.
Another
version of the legend for the name of the place is that Shiva of this temple was
identified by Parantaka Chozha. Parantaka Chozha was considered an anthakan
(destroyer) of Madurai. Hence, this place obtained the name Madurantakam.
It
is believed that those affected by the skin diseases will get cured after
taking a bath in the temple tank “Vida Theertham” and worshipping Shiva of this
temple.
It
is also believed that worshipping the Bairavars of this temple will relieve one from
the land dispute and ward off legal battles.
POOJAS
AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from regular poojas, special poojas are celebrated on Pradosham, Maha
Shivaratri, Kiruthikai, Sankadahara Chaturthi, Vinayagar Chaturthi, Navaratri,
Adi Thabasu, Thai Poosam, Avani Moolam, Panguni Brahmotsavam, and Ashtami
Theipirai, etc.
TEMPLE
TIMINGS
The
temple will be kept open from 07.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and from 17.00 hrs to
20.00 hrs.
CONTACT
DETAILS
Sivachariyar
Mahadevan’s mobile numbers +9199947 14378 and +9195973 96514 may be contacted
for further details.
HOW
TO REACH
This
temple is about 300 meters from Madurantakam Railway Station, 1.5 km from Eri Kaatha
Ramar Temple, 3.6 km from Madurantakam bus stop on bypass road, 28 km from
Chengalpattu Railway Junction, 58 km from Tambaram Railway Station, and 65 km from
Kanchipuram.
The
nearest Railway Station is Madurantakam.
---
OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
Muneeswarar with Saptakannis
Muneeswarar
Selva Vinayagar Temple at the base
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
