Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple / Annamalaiyar Temple, Varadharaja Perumal Temple and ani Annamalaiyar Temple, Park Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

22^nd December 2019.

This temple is on Palliappan Street in Park Town a part of Chennai. During my previous visit in 2016, the temple was under renovation and preparing for Kumbhabhishekam. This temple complex houses Sri Varadharaja Perumal Temple and Sri Ani Annamalaiyar Temple.

ARUNACHALESWARAR TEMPLE

Moolavar     : Sri Arunachaleswarar

Consort       : Sri Abitha Kusalambal

Some of the Important details of this temple are...

The temple faces east with a 5-tier Rajagopuram. Anubuthi mandapam is after entering the Rajagopuram and the main sanctum is on the left. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Nandhi mandapam are at the entrance. In Koshtam  Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Vishnu ( in place of Lingothbavar ), Brahma and Durgai. Vinayagar and Sri Balamurugan are at the entrance of Sanctum sanctorum. Stucco Dwarapalakas are at the entrance of the ardha mandapam.

In the inner praharam Somaskandar, Navagrahas, Chandran, Suryan, Naalvar, Balalaya Shiva Linga with Nandi in a glass cabinet ( worshiped during the 2016 Balalayam ), Saba mandapam, Palliyarai, Chandikeswarar,  Bhairavar, Vinayagar and Subramaniyar.

 

Ambal is in a separate sannidhi facing south. Stucco image of Thiripurasundari and Kamakshi. Ambal is in thiribanga standing posture, while upper hands are holding pasa angusa/ flower and lower hands are in abhaya varada hastham.

In the outer praharam, Sannadhi for Vishnu as Varadharajar, Vijaya Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Shiva Linga worshiped by Ambal in embracing posture, A Linga under a Bilva Tree.  Stucco images Arunagirinathar and Vallalar are in the Mukha Mandapam.

 

ARCHITECTURE

The sanctum sanctorum consists of  Sanctum, antarala and artha mandapam and a mukha mandapam. A 2-tier stucco Vimana is above the prastaram. The Mukha mandapa was built with granite pillars during the latter Nayak period. The Anubuthi mandapam in concrete is in front of the Subramaniyar Sannadhi. The Rajagopuram is not in front of the Shiva temple ie not in a straight line with Balipeedam, Nandhi, and Moolavar sannidhi.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTION

It is claimed that this temple is more than 300 years old. No inscription was found to prove the same. The Vinayagar sannidhi was built in 1925 ( 28-08-1925 ). An inscription above the entrance records that the trustee Pazhanthandalam Thangavelu Mudaliar built this temple in memory of his Uncle Manicka Mudaliar and Aunty Balambigai Ammal ( சிறிய தகப்பனார் & சிறிய தாயார் ).

The  Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniyar sannidhi might have been built in the same period. The Donor's reliefs are on the pillars facing Subramaniyar in worshiping posture.  The inscription above the Donor relief reads as Bhuvanagiri Sabapathy Mudaliar and Parvati Ammal. Kumbhabhishekams were conducted between 1967 and 2016. The Chariot was renovated and the procession was also held in 2009.

  The donors of Sri Valli Devasena Murugan temple

As per Chennai Ma Nagar Kalvettukkal - சென்னை மாநகர் கல்வெட்டுக்கள், Published by Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department, the inscription is on the west wall of a House No 1/17, on Pallappan Street.

The 1842 CE Inscription, records that Mylapore Nallappa Mudaliar’s son Justice Su Muthusamy Mudaliar, has gifted the house to Chennai Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple, and the locations is given above. The original inscription reads as…..

1. உ
2. சென்னைபுரி
3. ஸ்ரீ அருணாசலீசுவர
4. ர் கோயில்-வீடு
5. மயி நல்லப்பா
6. முதலியார் புத்திரராகிய
7. ஜஷ்டீ சு-முத்துசாமி
8. முதலியார் தற்மம் தொ
9. ண்ட மண்டலத்தா
10. ரில்-வைசிய குலம்
11. துளுவவேளாளம் பு.
12. பல்லவராய கோ
13. த்திரம்-போதாய[ன]
14. சூத்திரம்-சாலிவா
15. கன- வருஷம்
16. ௲௭௱௬௰௪

An 1878 (?) CE, portion of inscription on the floor of Sri Nattu Selva Vinayagar temple on the mint Street, Park Town, mentions as Arunachaleswarar. An endowment by Katt(i)vur Vaidhyar Chari's son Muma(ra)ya mestri. The inscription reads as.....

1. உ வெகுதான்ய 
2. ளூ மாசி மீ யஅ
3. சோம வாரம் அ
4. மர புஷ்ஷம் சஷ்
5. டியும் கிறத்திகை
6. நஷ்ஷாத்திரமும்
7. யிப்படிப்பட்ட தினத்
8. தில் காட்(டி)வூர் வயித்
9. தியர் சாரிகுமாரன் கு
10. ம(ர)ய  மேஸ்த்திரி அறு
11. ணாசலீஸ்வரகுல..
12. ....................................

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

The temple will be kept open between 07.00 Hrs to 11.30 Hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.30 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS:

The landline number +91 44 25296461 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH :

The temple is on 24- Palliappan Street, Chennai 79 Park Town area,  near Mint Street.

The temple is about 2 KM from Chennai Central station

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE  

  

 Moolavar Vimana

 Vinayagar Sannidhi

 Worshiped during Palalayam

Ambal Sannadhi

Nasi koodu on the balipeedam

 On the right is the Ani Annamalaiyar Sannadhi

 Front mandapa Ceiling relief

 Pillar Pothyal / capital with boar relief

  Pillar reliefs - Markandeya Purana and Rishabam is playing mridangam

 Pillar reliefs

Sri Kamakshi worships Ekambareswarar

SRI ANI ANNAMALAIYAR TEMPLE

A small temple abutting the Rajagopuram on the right side with a separate entrance in addition to an interconnecting entrance with Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple. The temple has with sanctum and a mandapam. A stucco image of Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailash is above the entrance. Mahishasuramardini is on the right side of the entrance. Varahi and Unnamulai Amman.

SRI VARADHARAJA PERUMAL TEMPLE.

The Varadaraja Perumal temple is in front of Dwajasthambam, facing north. Sri Varadharaja Perumal is in standing posture with Sridevi and Bhudevi.  Urchavars are in front. The stucco image of Garudan is on the Rajagopuram base. Hanuman is facing east in a small mandapam.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

As per Chennai Ma Nagar Kalvettukkal - சென்னை மாநகர் கல்வெட்டுக்கள், Published by Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department, the inscription is on the south side wall (outside) of a House No 59, on Annapillai Street.

The 1861 CE inscription records that a gift of a house to Varadharaja Perumal, located inside Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple, Chennai, by Narayana Mudaliar’s wife Amirthammal of Chennai. The original inscription reads as…..

1. உ
2. ஹரிநமோஸ்து
3. சென்னைபுரி ஸ்ரீ அருணா
4. லீசுவரர் ஆலையத்தை[ச்]
5. சேர்ந்த ஸ்ரீ வறதராஜப்பெரு[ம]
6. [n]ள் கயிங்கரியத்துக்கு சென்ன[ப]
7. [ட்]டணத்திலிருக்கும் கோவூர் அக்ஷ[ய]
8. கோத்திரம் நாராயண முதலி[யா]
9. [ர்] பாரியாள் அமுர்தம்மாள் தா[ன]
10.  [ஞ்] செயித யிந்த வீட்டில் வரும்[ப]
11. [டி]யைக்கொண்டு யென் பேறா[ல்}
12. [நி]த்தியம் கால சந்தி திருவாறாத
13. னை செய்யும்படிக்கி ஷை ஆலை
14. யத்தின் தரும்மகர்த்தா வசம் [ஒ]
15. [ப்] பிவித்துப் போட்டே நாகை[ய].
16. [ர]ல் யிந்த வீட்டுக்கும் யெனக்கு[ம்]
17. யென் குடும்பத்தில் யாறுக்கு
18. [ம்] யாதொரு பாத்தியதையுமி
19. ல்லை யிந்தபடிக்கி யென் [ம]
20. னப்பூர்வமாயி திருகறண (சு)
21. த்தியோடுந் தானஞ் செயிதேன்
22. சாலிவாகன ளூ ௲௭௱௮௰௩ கலி
23. யுகாதி ளு ௪த௬௱௬உ க்கு சரி
24. யான ரௌத்திரி ளூ ஆவணி மீ
25. உ௰உ உ புதவாறம்.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE    

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---