Sri Dhenupureeswarar Temple, Madambakkam and Sri Adhipureeswarar Temple, Pallikaranai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

 10th July 2015.

Even though I had been to Madambakkam Shiva temple earlier, I thought of making it once again on 5^th July 2015. The temple is under ASI's control and the praharam floor's paving with granite is in full swing during my Visit. I found a lot of improvement in the temple.  Since it was a  Sunday lot of devotees thronged the temple.  Understand that the rush will be more on Sunday evening Sarabeswarar Pooja. The temple is about 22 KM from my home and I made it through my scooter.  The Details of my second and Third visits are written in separate posts. For the Details Please Click the Links... SECOND VISIT....  THIRD VISIT  with more photographs and details. 

Moolavar  : Sri Dhenupureeswarar
Consort    : Sri Dhenukmbal

Some of the important features of this temple are ....
The temple is of the Chozha Period facing east with an unfinished Rajagpouram ( Mottai Gopuram ). Dwajasthambam, Balipeedam and Nandhi mandapam are at front. In the front mandapam, there are a lot of reliefs on the pillars. The important reliefs are Sarabeswarar and Hanuman with 5 heads. Nagars are in the outer prakaram.

In the inner praharam Sri Dhenukambal Sannadhi with koshta murtis, Navagrahas, Valamchuzhi Vinayagar, Maha Ganapathy, Sri Varadharaja Perumal with Sridevi and BhuDevi, Kabila Nathar, Annapoorani, Valli DevaSena Sri Subramanian, Natarajar and Urchava Murtis and Chandikeswarar.

The Karuvarai is of the Gajabirustam type and Koshta murtis are Narthana Vinayagar, Mouna Dhakshinamoorthy, Vishnu, Brahma, and Durgai.  Moolavar is too small with a cow’s leg scar on the head.

Renowned saint Arunagirinathar of the 15^th century composed a hymn of this temple Sri Subramaniar in his "Thirupugazh".

நால்வி தந்தரு வேதா வேதமு
     நாடி நின்றதொர் மாயா தீதம
          னோல யந்தரு நாதா ஆறிரு ................. புயவேளே

வாட யங்கியவேலா லேபொரு
     சூர்த டிந்தருள் வீரா மாமயி
          லேறு கந்தவி நோதா கூறென .............. அரனார்முன்

வாச கம்பிற வாதோர் ஞானசு
     கோத யம்புகல் வாசா தேசிக
          மாடை யம்பதி வாழ்வே தேவர்கள் ...... பெருமாளே.

ARCHITECTURE

The sanctum or Garbhagriha of this temple is in the shape of Gajaprishata (The back of an elephant ) is a special feature of this temple. The Sanctum sanctorum is on a pada baandha adhistanam with three patta Kumudam.  The temple from adhistanam to prastaram was built with stone in Gajaprishta style. Eka tala Gajaprishta Vimanam, built with bricks is on the prastaram. 

Ardha mandapam and mukha mandapam pillars with exquisitely carved images of Nayanmars, Sarabeswarar, hanuman, Shiva, Veerabhadra, Narasimha, Vamana with Mabali, Umamaheswarar, Natarajar,  etc, which shows the rich heritage of culture and divinity.

Temple Tank with Vimanam 

Ambal Vimanam 

 Unfinished Rajagopuram ( Mottai Gopuram ) 

Mukha mandapam 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The walls of the main shrine and the Ambal shrine have inscriptions belonging to Chola kings like Kulothunga Chozha-III and Rajaraja-III. There are also some epigraphs of Jatavarman Sundara Pandya and rulers of the Vijayanagara era like Kampana Udaiyar, Devaraya II and Sadasiva Raya. These epigraphs record the gifts of land, lamps, and livestock to this temple and also various other services rendered for conducting festivals and daily worship. The inscriptions reveal that the original name of Lord Dhenupureeswarar was Sittreri Udaiya Nayanar and that of Goddess Dhenugambal was Nampirattiyar.

Saint Arunagirinathar of the 15th Century A.D., author of the `Tiruppugazh,' has composed a hymn on Lord Subramaniar of this temple. This ancient village, now called Madambakkam, was once known as Ulaguyyavanda-Chola Chaturvedi Mangalam. It was part of the ancient territorial subdivision called Nedugunra Nadu in Puliyur-Kottam situated in Jayamkonda-Cholamandalam.

The history of the temple taken from the tablet installed by ASI is as follows. The temple was built by Parakrama Chozha –II alias Sundara Chozha ( AD 954-971) and his minister Anirudra Brahmadhirajan. Latter the temple was consolidated with stone during Ulakuyavanda Chozha of Chaturvedi Mangalam.

Presiding deities Dhenupureeswarar and Dhenukambal were initially known as Sitteri Aludiya Nayanar and Nampiratiyar and this change could have happened in the 15th - 16th century during Vijayanagara Period. 

The temple has been Under the maintenance of Archaeological Survey of India, since 04-05-1996 and now is being administered by HR&CE Tamil Nadu.

  

The inscription records Shiva's name as Aludaiya Nayanar

LEGENDS

According to legends associated with this temple sage Kapila worshiped Lord Shiva with his left hand. Later he was born at this place as Kapila Pasu (Cow / Dhenu ) and was exonerated from his sin, Chozha King having dreamt of this incident, located the swayambhu lingam in the lake and built this temple.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from Two kala poojas special poojas are conducted on Pradosham and Maha Shivaratri days. ‘Panguni Uthiram‘is celebrated annually for three days with great pomp and includes a float festival. In this temple poojas to the presiding deities are being conducted twice daily.

This Thirumurai Koil was gifted to this temple during the month September 2023.

TEMPLE TIMINGS :

The temple is kept open between  6.00 Hrs  to 12.00 Hrs  and 17.00 Hrs  to 20.30 Hrs

CONTACT DETAILS :

The Landline and mobile numbers are +91- 44- 2228 0424, 93826 77442, and 99411 49916.

HOW TO REACH :

From Velachery to Tambaram after Rajakilpakkam, Sembakkam on the left a road leads to Madambakkam and 2 KM from the main road.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

 View of the mukha mandapam from Mottai gopuram entrance 

View of Gajaprishta vimanam from outer prakaram 

Temple view from Temple Tank 

Siddhar temple near by 

A Matrix of Tamil numerals - total will be 15 on any direction  

First Row         8 - 1 - 6 

Second Row    3 - 5- 7 

Third row       4 - 9 - 2

SRI ADHIPUREESWARAR TEMPLE, PALLIKARANAI

This post was updated with more details. Please CLICK HERE to see the details. 

Moolavar    : Sri Adhipureeswarar

Consort      : Sri Sri Shantha Nayagi

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

The temple is facing east with Rajagopuram. The temple tank is on the east side of Velachery to Tambaram main road which was renovated with steps recently. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Rishabam after the Rajagopuram.

In the outer parakaram Anjaneyar, Maha Ganapathy, Valli DevaSena Subramaniar, Sabha mandapam, Navagrahas ( Adhipureeswarar is at the centre ), Chandikeswarar, Vinayagar, Raghu Kethu, Bhairavar, Sarabeswarar, Viyakrabathar. In koshtam Narthana Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Mahavishnu, Brahma and Durgai. Ambal sannidhi is in Artha mandapam. 

HISTORY

Krishnadevaraya period the year 1725, inscriptions are found at the base of Sanctum.

 

The old view of the temple 

LEGENDS

Reliefs of Kannappar, Peacock worshiping Lord Shiva, Spider, Snakes, and Elephants worship lord Shiva are at the base of the sanctum wall, since it was believed that they worshiped, Lord Shiva.

It was believed that those who could not go to Kalahasti could perform Pariharam at this temple also. One of the specialty in this temple is sun’s rays will fall on moolavar from the 15^th to the 30^th of Masi month. It was believed that the place came under Puliyur Kottam in the Chozha Period due to Munivar Viyakrabathar worshiping Lord Shiva of this temple.

The temple is under the control of HR&CE Department.

THE TEMPLE TIMINGS:

The temple is kept open between 07.00 Hrs to 12.00 Hrs and 16.30 Hrs to 20.30 Hrs

CONTACT DETAILS:

The mobile numbers are 9840109495, 9444326057, and 9884235555

HOW TO REACH :

The temple is on the Velachery to Tambaram main road at Pallikaranai.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

3 tier Rajagopuram 

Inner view 

Recently renovated Temple Tank with ducks 

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---