Sri Chelliamman Temple / Selliamman Temple with Mystical images on stone slabs, Vengudi, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu

08^th March 2020.

The visit to this temple is a part of Temples and Heritage Sites on the banks of the Palar River. Thanks to Mr Kesavan a Heritage enthusiast, who joined me on this Visit. This temple is on the roadside, initially, we thought this must be a usual Village temple with a guarding deity. When we looked inside it was a little different from other Village deity temples.

Presiding / Procession Deity: Sri Chelliamman

Some of the salient features of this temple are…

The temple faces North with a Shulam/trident and balipeedam is in front. The stucco image of Nisumba Soodhani is on the top of the Mukha mandapam. The temple consists of a sanctum sanctorum, an artha mandapam, and a mukha mandapam with a grill gate.  There is no Vimana over the sanctum sanctorum. In the sanctum sanctorum there is no stone idol of Chelliamman instead there is only a procession deity.

Along the sanctum sanctorum back wall, there are three sandstone slabs installed with mystical images of male and female in sitting posture, with one leg hanging. Since the idols are made of Sandstone, with continuous abhisheka and poojas for a long period, most parts of the images are eroded, and couldn’t identify the images, what is what. Initially, we thought it may be Saptamatrikas and experts believe that these may be memorials or Nadukarkal erected for a Male and Female.

As per the experts, these Mystical images may belong to the 8^th to 9^th Century Pallava period and the temple may be 300 to 400 years old.

   

 mystical images

 mystical images

HOW TO REACH:

This Chelliamman Temple is on the Walajabad to Kanchipuram Road.

The temple is 3 KM from Walajabad, 15 KM from Kanchipuram, 27 KM from Chengalpattu, and 70 KM from Chennai.

Nearest Railway Junction is Chengalpattu and the Railway station is Walajabad.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

Chelliamman procession deity

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---