Sri Kucheswarar and Sri Athreesar Temple, Pachaiyappa's Women College, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.

The list of Shiva temples in and around Kanchipuram with links to Google Photos, Location links on Google Maps, and Location QR Codes are posted already in this blog.  

Maha Shivaratri 2020 – Kanchipuram  Shiva Temples  Visit- 9

21^st February 2020.

The visit to these Sri Kucheeswarar and Sri Athreeswarar temples was a part of the 2020 Maha Shivaratri Temples Visit, on 21st February 2020. Actually, these two Shiva Lingas are installed in a single sanctum sanctorum in side Pachaiyappa's Woman’s College premises. The temple bears a new look and do not know whether these temples will be kept open during nighttime. 18^th Century Muni, Sri Sivagnana Swamigal has mentioned the Kuchesa and Atri Maharishis in his Kanchi Puranam.

சாத்திரம் வல்ல வியாதைன யாண்டருள் சார்ந்தாரைக்

காத்த பிரான்திறம் இங்கிது கட்டுரை செய்தேமால்

ஏத்தரு மஞ்சள் நதிப்புடை யேழ்முனி வோரெந்தாய்

சேர்த்தென வேத்திய வேழிட மேய வளங்சொல்வாம்

அத்திரி குச்சன் வசிட்டன் அருட்பிரு குப்பாசங்

கைத்துயர் கௌதமர் காசிப ரோடங்கி ராவென்றேழ்

மெய்த்தவ ரும்பனிசூழிம யக்கிரி மேல்முன்னாள்

உத்தம மான வருந்தவ மாற்ற லுருங்காலை

சிவலிங்கப் பதிட்டை செய்தல் எவற்றுளுஞ் சிறந்த தாகும்

சிவபத்தர் பதிட்டை தானும் அன்னேத இவைதாம் செல்வச்

சிவனமர் தலங்கள் தம்மிற் செய்பயன் கோடி மேலாம்

சிவநிறை காஞ்சி வைப்பிற் செய்திடின் அனந்த கோடி.

காஞ்சிபுராணம்.2 – 751-763

Moolavar : Sri Kucheswarar

Moolavar : Sri Athreeswarar

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

The temple faces east with a  Balipeedam and Nandi. In the sanctum, Sri Athreeswarar is on the left and Kucheeswarar is on the right. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma, Vishnu and Durga. In praharam sannidhi for Saraswati (Saraswati is the goddess of Education and this temple is in an educational institution. This sannadhi was built along with 2012 Kumbhabhishekam) and Navagrahas.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The original temple may have existed since the Pallava Period and was reconstructed in the 20^th Century. The temple is very small with a Sanctum sanctorum, artha mandapam, and a Mukha mandapam. As per the inscriptions, the Kumbhabhishekam was conducted in 1999, 2002, and 2012 under the guidance of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal of Kanchi Mutt.

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

Since Oru kala pooja is conducted the opening and closing times are unpredictable.

LEGENDS 
Lord Brahma, during explaining Lord Shiva’s fame to the seven sages (Aththiri, Kuchchar, Vasishtar, Brigu, Kasipar, Gauthama, and Angira) and asked to establish Shiva Temples at Kanchi to attain Mukti and also one of the Saptarishi temples of Kanchipuram.

HOW TO REACH:

This temple is in Pachaiyappas Women's College premises on the Vegavadhi River Road and about 300 meters off from Kanchipuram to Chengalpattu main road.     

The temple is about 2.5 KM from Kanchipuram Bus Stand, 4.0 Km from Kanchipuram Railway station, 37.5 KM from Arakkonam, and 70 KM from Chennai.

Nearest Railway Station is Kanchipuram and Railway Junction is Arakkonam.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---