Balasubramania Swamy Temple / Shri Murugan Temple / Balasubramania Swamy Temple / Uthiramerur Murugan Temple /அருள்மிகு பாலசுப்ரமணியன் திருக்கோயில் உத்திரமேரூர், Uthiramerur, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu.

16^th November 2019.

The visit to this Murugan temple was a part of the Thirumukkudal Temples Visit scheduled on the 16^th and 17^th of November 2019. After the darshan of Sri Varadharaja Perumal, we went to this temple, which is about 100 meters away. It was around 18.00 hours when we entered the temple, and the sun had already set. So we couldn’t take clear photographs. The 14^th to 15^th century saint Arunagirinathar has sung the hymn "Thiruppugazh" in praise of Sri Balasubramania Swamy of this temple. He mentions Uthiramerur (in Sanskrit) as Vadamerur – வடமேரூர் in Tamil.

சுருதி மறைக ளிருநாலு திசையி லதிபர் முனிவோர்கள்

துகளி லிருடி யெழுபேர்கள்                  சுடர்மூவர்

சொலவில் முடிவில் முகியாத பகுதி புருடர் நவநாதர்

தொலைவி லுடுவி நுலகோர்கள்             மறையோர்கள்

அரிய சமய மொருகோடி அமரர் சரணர் சதகோடி

அரியு மயனு மொருகோடி                  யிவர்கூடி

அறிய அறிய  அறியாத அடி களறிய அடியேனும்

            அறிவு  ளறியு மறிவூற                     அருள்வாயே

வரைகள் தவிடு பொடியாக நிருதர் பதியு மழிவாக

மகர சலதி அளறாக                        முதுசூரும்

மடிய அலகை நடமாட விஜய வனிதை மகிழ்வாக

மவிலு சிதறி இரைதேடி                    வருநாய்கள்

நரிகள் கொடிகள் பசியாற உதிர நதிக ளலைமோத

நமனும் வெருவி யடிபேண                  மயிலேறி

நளின வுபய கரவேலை முடுகு முருக வடமேரு

நகரி யுறையு மிகையோர்கள்                பெருமாளே

Moolavar : Sri Balasubramania Swamy

Consorts : Sri Valli & Sri Deivanai

Some of the salient features of this temple are….

The temple faces east with a 5-tier Rajagopuram. The temple tank is in front of the temple. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam, and Elephant vahana are after the Rajagopuram entrance. The Elephant vahana, instead of the usual Peacock, signifies that the temple is very old (as per the legend, this Elephant vahana was presented by Indiran as a marriage gift).

Dwarapalakas Sithekan and Sumugan are at the entrance of the artha mandapam. Moolavar is about 6 feet and is believed to be swayambhu. Consort of Murugan is the combination of Valli and Devasena, called Gajavalli.

In the praharam Varasiddhi Vinayagar, Selvaganapathy, Vishwanatha Eswarar, Vaishnavi, Balasubramaniyar, Vasugi, Kamadhenu, Veera Sastha, Dhakshan, Arumugar, Sumithra Chandikeswarar, Navagrahas, and Suryan. A Separate Vel/spear is installed at the inner praharam, and it is believed that this vel was used by Lord Murugan of Ilayanar (Young Murugan), Velur, to protect sage Kashyapa from two demons. Kadamba Nathar sannadhi is in the outer prakaram.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple was constructed on a rocky surface. Large boulders can be seen protruding  above the ground, outside the sanctum/prahara. The temple complex consists of a sanctum, an artha mandapam, and a maha mandapam. The Mukha mandapa was supported by 10 Pillars. The sanctum is on a simple padabandha adhisthana with tripatta kumuda. The niches or the koshtas are shallow without koshta images. In the Thorana above the niches, Sanga Nidhi and Padmanidhi Kuberan, and a dancer with musicians. The prastaram consists of valapi, kapotam, and vyyalavari. An eka thala vimana is over the sanctum sanctorum. Oonjal and vasantha mandapam are in the outer praharam.

 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

During the Chozha period, Uthiramerur was called Jayangonda Chozhamandalathu Kazhiyur Kottathu Uthiramerur Chaturvedi Mangalam, ie, the place was gifted to the Brahmin scholars, who had learned the 4 Vedas. This place was mentioned in the inscriptions of the Vaikunta Perumal temple as Uthirameru, Uthiramerur, and Uthiramelur. 

It is believed that the temple was built during the 6^th to 8^th centuries along with the Sri Varadharaja Perumal Temple by the Pallavas. An inscription is found on the old well in the Prahara. The temple was patronized by the Chozhas and Vijayanagaras.

This inscription on the south wall of the sanctum sanctorum records is dated in the 4th year of Parthivendrâdhipativarman, who took the head of Vira Pandya, and registers a gift of land to the temple of Subrahmanya-bhattara at Uttaramêru-chaturvêdimangalam by Sandiran Eluntigruvan alias Nulamba Mâyilatți, a merchant of Rana-virappadi in Kânchipura. Ranavirappadi is already known from the Madras Museum plates of Uttama - Chôla to have been a hamlet of Kanchipura (Conjeeveram). The donor is mentioned in other inscriptions of Uttaramallûr in connexion with several other charities in that place.

Ref
Epigraphia Indica, Volume -XXII
South Indian Inscriptions Volume 3, Part III.

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

The temple will be kept open from 07.00 hrs to 08.00 hrs, and from 16.00 hrs to 19.00 hrs.

HOW TO REACH:

The temple is about a km from the Uthiramerur bus stand. Uthiramerur is  30 km from Kanchipuram, 30 km from Chengalpattu, 60 km from Tindivanam, and 90 km from Chennai

The nearest Railway Station is Chengalpattu.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE 

 Elephant Vahana to Subramanian Swamy - a proof of an ancient temple 

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---