Sri Ramanadheswarar Temple / Shri Ramanatheeswarar Temple / ஸ்ரீ ராமநாதீஸ்வரர் கோவில், Vembakkam / வெம்பாக்கம், Thiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu.

The Visit to this Ramadheswarar temple at Vembakkam was a part of visit to the Temples and heritage sites around Kanchipuram, scheduled on 10^th July 2021. It was not planned to Visit this temple at Vembakkam earlier and the same was combined with the Ayyangarkulam Nadavavi and Thirupanangadu Sri Thalapureeswarar Temple. This Sri Ramanaadheswarar, Shiva Temple is after the Jain temple.

Moolavar  : Sri Ramanaadheswarar

Consort    : Sri Parvathavarthini

Some of the salient features of this temple are…

The temple is facing east with an entrance arch from west side. Stucco images of Lord Shiva and parvati, Rama worships a Shiva Linga along with Sita and lakshmanan. On both sides are Nandi devar and Suka maharishi.  Balipeedam and Nandi are on the east side. A Jala is provided on the east wall of the temple. Apart from moolavar in the sanctum, a bas relief of Anantha Sayana Perumal on the north wall of the sanctum sanctorum. Only Durgai is in the koshtam.

In Artha mandapam, Vinayagar, Subramaniyar, Brahma, Dakshinamurthy, Ambal Parvatha Vardhini, Bhairavar and Suriyan.

ARCHITECTURE

The Temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala and artha mandapam. The sanctum up to prastaram was built with stone and the super structure Vesara Vimana was built with Brick. The Vimana is of 3 tiers with Images of Dakshinamurthy, Mahavishnu, Brahma and Lord Shiva are in salai pathi and Greevam.  The Valabi of kapotham do not have any images.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

It is believed that this original temple exists before 07^th to 8^th Century ie before Sundarar’s period. He also worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple after worshiping Thirupanangadu, Thalapureeswarar.  The Sundarar’s hymns on Lord Shiva of Thirupanangadu is as follows…

விடையின்மேல் வருவானை வேதத்தின் பொருளானை

அடையில்அன் புடையானை யாவர்க்கும் அறிவொண்ணா

மடையில்வா ளைகள்பாயும் வன்பார்த்தன் பனங்காட்டூர்ச்

சடையிற்கங்கை தடரித்தானைச் சாராதார் சார்பென்னே

Renovation works were started in the துந்துபி year 1862 (  Gregorian year Should be 1862  CE ) and Completed in the ப்ரபாவ year 1867 CE  ( Gregorian year Should be 1867 CE ). Maha kumbabishekam was conducted. After constructing a Vimana over the Ambal shrine, and Maha kumbhabhishekam was also conducted in 2019, by Babu Rao and Sethu Rao descendants. The same was inscribed in Telugu. Mukha mandapam, Sanctum sanctorum was also constructed by them. An 19^th Century  ( 1862 CE ) Telugu inscription with last line in Tamil inscribed is on the ceiling of the front mandapa reads as இந்த கிராமத்தாரனைவரும் இந்த சிவாலயத்தினடத்தில் அபிமானம் வைத்து நடப்பிக்க வேண்டியது… The Telugu inscription reads as.. ( Readers may please correct me if I am wrong ).

சாலிவாகன சகாபதம் 1684 சதாப்தம் 4997 ப்வதிகதாப்தம் ஆஸ்வசுத்தம் துபி நாம் சமத்சரம் புஸ்பநக்சத்திரம் விருஷப லக்ணம்மந்து இசிவாலம் வஷிஸ்ட கோத்ர தனுர் லக்னம் பாபுராவ் ஆரம்பிஞ்சி பணி நடிபிஸ்துன்னாருக  பவசமச்சரம் ஆஷாடசுத்தி 14 சோமவாரம் ஸ்வாமி கர்பனுக்கிரக மண்டபம் முகமண்டபம் அயினதி மயதலைன பணிலு முகிசினதி இகுடும்பமுலோ செந்தினா வாஸ்தவலு செகலமு காகொண்ட மரமத்து ஒகிராஞ்சி ஸ்வாமி பூஜா விசேசமுலு முதலைனா பனுலதி சேவிஸ்து அபிபிராய கோருதுனாரு.. after this Tamil Inscription starts as இந்த கிராமத்தாரனைவரும் இந்த சிவாலயத்தினடத்தில் அபிமானம் வைத்து நடப்பிக்க வேண்டியது.

  

On 14^th September 1988, after maintenance, Jeenodharana Ashta Bandhana Maha Kumbabishekam  and Noothana Alaya  Ashta Bandhana maha Kumbabishekam for the Navagrahas was conducted in presence of Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal with an aid of Rs 15150 through Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal ponvizha Committee. 

Punaravarthara Astabandhana Maha Kumbabishekam was conducted on 25^th August 2019.

LEGENDS

It is believed that Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana on the way to Ayodhya, after establishing a Shiva Linga and worshiped. 

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

After from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Maha Shivaratri days (Devotees used to visit this temple also after Visiting Thirupanangadu, considering this as Thevara Vaippu Sthalam ), Pradosham and important functions associated with Lord Shiva.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

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

CONTACT DETAILS

The priest many be contacted on his mobile +91 9655430347 for further details.

HOW TO REACH

The temple is  4 KM from Thirupanangadu, 8 KM from Ayyangarkulam, 17 KM from Kanchipuram, 43 KM from Vandavasi and 90 KM from Chennai.

Nearest Railway station is Kanchipuram.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE

Ananda sayana Perumal in sanctum 

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---