Wednesday 3 April 2019

Sri Somanatha Eswar Temple / சோமநாத ஈஸ்வர் கோயில், Kolathur, Chennai / Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu.

24th March 2019.
After Sri Kailasanathar temple’s visit, Mr Manoj and self had been to this Shiva Temple at Kolathur near Villivakkam.


Moolavar   : Sri Somanatha Eswar
Consort     : Sri Amuthambigai

The salient features of this temple are…
The temple is facing east with a mottai gopuram with a Nayak period mandapam. The balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Rishabam are immediately after the entrance. The sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum, antarala and ardha mandapam. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Vishnu, Brahma and Durgai.  Ambal sannidhi is in the artha mandapam facing south.

In the inner prakaram sannadhi for Somaskandar, Urchavars, Siddhi Puthi Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Naalvar, Kasi Viswanathar with Visalakshi, Bairavar, Nataraja with Sivagami, Chandran, Suryan and Chandikeswarar. In the outer  prakaram sannadhi for Vannimara (Vanni Tree)  Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Navagrahas. Immediately after the temple entrance on the left, there is a sannadhi for SriDevi & Bhudevi samedha Sri Amirtharaja Perumal with urchavars.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
As per unconfirmed sources, the temple was constructed in the year 1745 CE by Mr Muthukumarappa Mudaliar, who  served as a Diwan under Arcot Nawab. He discovered a Shiva Linga at Kolathur and constructed a Temple using the money, collected as Tax, which is supposed to be handed over to Nawab. On hearing this Nawab ordered Mudaliar to be imprisoned. Before the arrest, Shiva came in the form a human and gave him a bowl to beg and collect money.  Mudaliar begged  and managed to collect a sum which was more than what he spent for constructing the temple. He gave it Nawab and realizing the power of Lord Shiva the Nawab gifted three Villages in Kolathur area to this Shiva Temple.

Madhava Gana yogi has sung "Kolathur Pathitrupathu" on Lord Shiva of this temple 

LEGENDS
From another legend Chandran the moon also called as Soman, get relieved of his curse  after worshiping Lord Shiva of this temple. Hence Shiva obtained the name of Somanatha Eswar. 

As per another legend, the Asuras Vilvan and Vadapi  with Agasthiyar also associated with this temple.  Agasthiyar also worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple.

TEMPLE TIMINGS:
The temple will be kept opened between 07.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

HOW TO REACH:
Very close to Ganga Cinema theater of Kolathur.
About a KM from Rettai Eri and Kolathur Metro  water stations.
About 2,2 KM from Villivakkam Railway Station.

LOCATION:CLICK HERE



  Vannimara Vinayagar Sannadhi 








  Nandhi is playing miruthangam and veena
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

4 comments:

  1. Want to know about Amirtharaja Perumal Story here. How he relate to the sthala purana. I am a resident of Kolathur.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since You are a resident of Kolathur, please enquire the sthalapurana from the Gurukkal or with some elderly persons and share...

      Delete