The
visit to this Sri Matsya Narayana Temple at Uthandi was a Part of not popular
temple’s of Chennai South Visit on 27th November 2022. Uthandi is on
the ECR Road and the temple is on the sea shore.
This
temple is dedicated to Maha Vishnu’s 1st Matsya Avatar of 10 Avatars
/ incarnations. In this incarnation Maha Vishnu retrieved the 4 Vedas, which
hidden in the sea in the form of fish.
Moolavar : Sri Maha Vishnu as
Matsya Narayana
Some
of the salient features of this temple are…..
This
temple is facing west and Moolavar Matsya Narayana is standing at the centre on
a circular raised platform. Moolavar face is similar to Triplicane Sri Parthasarathy with
mustache. A small sannidhi for Lakshmi & Narayanar is on the same platform.
A Moat with fish is around the circular platform. Vahanas, Tiger, Lion,
Crocodile, Mouse / Mooshika, Peacock, Eagle, Owl, Swan are on the bund of the moat
and their significance is given below. The
Kutty’s Kovil ( consists of panels from Ramayan, Ananda Sayana Perumal, Ram
Parivar, Shiva and Parvati, Vinayagar, Murugan, Om, Krishna ) is on the left and Geeta Ratham is on the
left side of the entrance. Vikrama Anjaneyar is facing Matsya Narayana Perumal
in Anjali hastam, Mrityunjaya Shiva ( not a regular Shiva lingam ), Navagrahas
( Navagrahas are installed on a created mount with grass, in different levels
facing their respective directions ), Vinayagar, Lakshmi Narayana, Vahanas are
around the circular temple.
ARCHITECTURE
This
temple is Open to Sky in circular formation raised about 3 feet from the ground
level with 108 Pillars of 7 to 8 feet high and Moolavar is at the centre. Moolavar
is about 12 feet tall. Moolavar is with two hands holding Vedas in left hand
and right hand is holding a small umbrella like material ( Chakra..?). A moat
with fish is around the Circular platform. The Vahanas are on the moat’s bund. A
plain and pebble path ways are formed around this Circular platform. The
Pillars has the inscription of Narayana
Perumal’s ashtothra namavali, in Tamil, Sanskrit and English.
HISTORY
The
temple called Chinmaya Tarangini also called as Sri Matsyanarayana Dhyana
Niketan, was built in the Birth Centenary Year of Gurudev Swami
Chinmayanandaji, was consecrated by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji on 24th
May, 2015 at Uthandi, Chennai. Pujya
Guruji Swami Tejomayananda, Swami Shantananda, Swamini Gangananda and Swami
Mitrananda were present at the Kumbhabhishekam / maha samprokshanam. The land
for the temple was gifted to Chinmaya Mission about 25 years before.
LEGENDS
Matsya Narayana - Chinmaya
Tarangini
Millions
of years ago, the world approached a cosmic deluge. Lord Vishnu, incarnating in
the Matsya form, saved the seething waters by bringing everything to safety,
using a specially designated marine vessel that preserved on form the seeds for
continuity of all species in the ensuing cosmic cycle. Outside Bharat also, we
find similar narrative prominently in several theologies of much later date.
A
fisherman, once, caught a small fish that he brought home in a container. The
next day the fish had grown to the size of the container. So he dropped the
fish in the well. To his surprise, the fish had grown to the size of the well
the very next day. Wonderstruck and confused, he presented himself to Raja
Satyavrata and narrated the incident. The king transported the fish to a big
pond. On the next day, the fish had grown to the size of the pond. The wise
king realized that it was no ordinary fish and that it is something mystical.
So, he surrendered to the fish with utmost humility and asked the fish to
reveal itself. The fish smilingly said that it is Lord Vishnu and advised the
king to load a special marine vessel with seeds of all species in subtle form
and be ready for the day of the deluge. On the day of the deluge, the fish took
the vessel to the safest point. Raja Satyavrata spent the entire journey
engaging in wise conversation with Vishnu. After the deluge, Vishnu returned
the marine vessel to safe land. When all the species were safe in the land,
they observed that the four Vedas were missing. Deep within the dark oceanic
womb lay the Vedas, hidden away by the demon Hayagreeva. The Lord as Divine
Fish retrieved the sacred scriptures, so that spiritual wisdom and
righteousness prevail and protect humankind.
So
too, when 20th century Bharat was oppressed by an era of decadent
human values, H.H. Swami Chinmayananda emerged to resurrect the fading
spiritual traditions. Working tirelessly to inspire faith In the potency of our
scriptures, to enrich and transform everyday life, He brought the ageless Vedic
wisdom to the masses, transcending caste, creed, country and religion,
restoring there by the glory and authority of the Vedas. On the sacred occasion
of His birth centenary, Chinmaya Mission Chennai humbly dedicates The Matsya
Narayana Meditation Centre at the Lotus Feet of the great master and spiritual
revivalist Swami Chinmayananda, The Matsya Narayana temple stands a fitting
tribute to the lord who, brought back the knowledge of the supreme from the
depths of disuse and certain oblivion. The 108 pillars are inscribed with the
1000 names of the lord from the Vishnu Sahasranama, each a precious indicator
of the nature of the self, calling out to all to meditate on the same. The
names of Swami Chinmayananda from the ashtothra are also inscribed on the
pillars invoking in us, a sense of gratitude. The meditation centre is open to
the sky and allows a blend of all the five elements, setting the perfect stage
for the experience of oneness.
Lakshmi Narayana
Narayana
symbolises the Power of Dharma. His consort revered as the Svarna Hasta (golden
handed) Goddess Lakshmi represents wealth. To maintain and grow our material as
well as spiritual strength as we walk the path of a Life Divine we need inner
and outer wealth.
The
holistic developmental approach of Hinduism emphasises the building of Artha
(material prosperity) upon the unshakeable foundation of Dharma (core spiritual
values) and the intelligent use of both to reach the final goal of every human
experience which is Moksha (liberation).
Lakshmi Narayanar Sannidhi
Mukthi Vinayaka
This enchanting form
of the Lord is worshipped as the remover of all hurdles - be the physical limitations
of any kind that impede our worldly progress or subjective obstacles namely,
kama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (pride),
matsarya (jealousy) which stagnate our spiritual evolution.
Geeta Ratham
The
Bhagavad Geeta which literally translates as The Song of God, is a between
Bhagavan Shri Krishna and Arjuna, that is said to have transpired in a chariot
readied for war on the battle field of Kurukshetra.
The
chariot in this great epic Mahabharata represents our body. The five horses
that pull the chariot represent our 5 senses. Shri Krishna represents the Self.
The analogy of the chariot and it's component parts helps route a seeker back
to the guidance and directives of the Self within.
Our
Geeta chariot hosts Bhagavan Shri Krishna who delivered the Geeta. Sage Vyasa
who authored the Mahabharata. Adi Shankaracharya who wrote the commentary on
the Bhagavad Geeta and Swami Chinmayananda who brought this eternal wisdom of
the Geeta to the common man through his electrifying Jnana Yagnas all over the
world.
"When
we go through Geeta - we grow through Geeta."
Vikrama Hanuman
Vikrama
Hanuman, who stands facing Matsya Narayana, his hands folded in a gentle
namaste, his eyes closed in concentration, is a reminder to all of us to
surrender our individual egos at the altar of the supreme. Vikram means the
valorous one, courageous in his quest and steadfast in his task.
As
the seeker invokes the qualities of Hanuman on his quest.
Mrityunjaya Shiva
The
transformative Power of Shiva is responsible for the metamorphosis of a bud
into a flower, a caterpillar into a butterfly, a jiva into the Eternal Self.
The grace of his Shakti is invoked here to help us overcome the greatest fear -
the fear of death!
Navagrahas
Through
keen observation and introspective study Hindu rishis of the past had a perfect
understanding of astronomy. They were the first to measure the distance between
sun and moon and earth and moon. Aware of the color of the planets long before
any scientific declarations, they were also the first establish the fact that
the Sun is the nexus of our solar system.
Their
biggest contribution to metaphysical exploration is the connection that they
drew between the movement of the planets and the consequent effects upon
sentient and insentient matter upon Earth. Staggering truths that modern
science is still struggling to catch up with. Invoking the potent energy of
these navagraha (planets) helps us tackle any seen and unseen challenges that
may arise in our lives due to their ever shifting positions in the Cosmos.
Vahanas
The
term Vahana is used to describe vehicle is a carrier. The for appears to carry
the form of God but also indicates a form attribute that we would do well to
pay heed to. The moat, surrounding lord Matsya Narayana is studded with Vahanas
of various deities. The form is visible,
the formless attribute it depicts, is inscribed stone alongside.
The Vahanas are, Tiger vahana of
Durga, Rishabam – Vahana of Shiva, Peacock- Vahana of Subramanya, Lion – Vahana
of Durga, Crocodile – Vahaana of Mother Ganga, Garuda – Vahana of Maha Vishnu,
Owl – Vahana of oddess of wealth, Swan – Vahana of Goddess of Saraswati and
Mouse / Mooshika – Vahana of Ganesha.
Kuttys Kovil
( Chiildren’s Temple ).
This complex consists of Sculptures and bas-relief Panels of Ganesha,
Vyasa, Muruga, Krishna, Brahma and Saraswati Devi, Vishnu and Lakshmi Devi,
Shiva and Parvati Devi, Ram Parivar and Om.
In and through the process of education, child psychology concludes hat to make
a child understand any concept in life one must come down to the level of the
child. And so we observe how parents teachers and elders actually get down on
their knees to make eye contact with the child and by engaging in age
appropriate language, successfully explain things larger than life to them.
Why then must it be different in the case of Spiritual upbringing?Especially in a world like ours where religion is literally thrust upon child
before it has had a chance at any pondering to relate to something that
resonates with its own inner workings and understanding life? Spiritual
connections that then develop within a child remain unproven, wavering and most
definitely do not stand the test of time.
To address this dilemma faced by our children of today. Chinmaya Mission
Chennai has come up with a brilliant and the only one of it's kind on earth
initiative to create a temple exclusively for children along the awe inspiring
shores of the Bay of Bengal in the undisrupted town of Uthandi, Tamil Nadu.
Kutty's Kovil : A creatively
conceptualised walk through space of worship that will house child-size avatars
with illustrative panels in the background of Hinduism's most popularly
worshipped deities, namely - Shiva, Skanda, Krishna, Hanuman, Ram, Sita and
Ganesha.
The aim of this innovation is to allow children to roam on their own these
sanctified parameters, without fear or intimidation, as they listen to stories
connected to each deity, familiarise themselves with the right incantations and
prayers to invoke the Grace of each, and by offering whatever they are drawn to
from their hearts, experiment with Lord Krishna's echoing promise in the
Bhagavad Geeta -
"patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami
prayatatmanah",
Literally translated as, "if one offers Me
with love and devotion a leaf, a
flower, fruit or water, I will accept it."
And thus through this very personalised journey, they will avail of the blessed
opportunity to effortlessly feel their way through to where they connect the
deepest. This way, in time, with repeated visits, each child would form an
individual rapport with either a single form of the Divine (as Ishta Devata -
Lord of their Heart) or begin to comprehend and revere the unity of all and
develop at a very young age the understanding of Hinduism's foremost teaching
of Advaita (non duality).
For the first time ever, awarding every child the freedom to choose it's object
and means of Devotion, in a fun and alluring environment that is sure to
appease every one of it's doubts with regards to worship and religion, Kutty's
Kovil (A Child's Temple) revolutionises the idea of Spirituality for a young
seeker's mind.
POOJAS AND
CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from poojas to Murtis, special aarti is Shown for Matsya Narayana and Sea, where
the Vedas are retrieved, after sun set.
Matsya
Narayana Aarti
Il
śrīmatsyanārāyaṇāya namaḥ
Il
om
jaya jaya namaḥ lakṣmipataye
jaya
jaya jagannatha 11
சின்மய தரங்கிணியில் உறித்தருளும் மத்ஸ்ய
நாராயணனே
புண்ணியம் எங்களை சேர்த்திட
பண்ணிய பாவங்கள் தீர்ந்திட
எண்ணியவுடன் அருள்வாய்
ஓம் ஜய் மத்ஸ்ய நாராயணனே
இந்து தர்மத்தை உயர்த்திய நியே சத்யன்ரதனை
காத்தாய்
மன்னன் சத்யன்ரதனை காத்தாய்
வேதங்கள் நான்கையும் காத்தாய் (2)
வேண்டியதை அருள்வாய்
ஓம் ஜய் மத்ஸ்ய நாராயணனே
முதல் அவதாரமாய் உயிர்களை காத்தாய்
உலகத்தை நீ படைத்தாய்
மீண்டும் உலகத்தை நீ படைத்தாய்
ஊழியில் ஆடிய தேவா (2)
ஆழியில் துயில்வோனே
ஓம் ஜய் மத்ஸ்ய நாராயணனே
பரம்பொருள் எதுவென பக்தர்க்கு உணர்த்திடும்
பரம்பொருள் நீதானே
உயர் பரம்பொருள் நீதானே
கடற்கரைக் கோயிலில் மகிழ்ந்திடும் (2)
கருணைக்கடல் நீயே
ஓம் ஜய் மத்ஸ்ய நாராயணனே
அலையினில் ஆடிடும் எங்களின் வாழ்வு
நிலைபெற நீ வந்தாய்
நின்று நிலைபெற நீ வந்தாய்
அன்பர்கள் எங்களை காத்திடும் (2)
மன்னவன் நீ தானே
ஓம் ஐ மத்ஸ்ய நாராயணனே
சின்மய தரங்கிணியில் உதித்தருளும் மத்ஸ்ய
நாராயணனே
புண்ணியம் எங்களை சேர்ந்திட
பண்ணிய பாவங்கள் தீர்ந்திட
எண்ணியவுடன் அருள்வாய்
ஓம் ஜயி மத்ஸ்ய நாராயணனே (3)
Sagar
Aarti
As the sun goes down on Sunday evenings, the crowds at the Chinmaya Tarangini witness an
amazing sight. The Torches are lit, and the crowd looks on in awe and
wonderment as the pundits climb up the stairs from where they offer their
salutations to the lord of the oceans. The melodious Aarti song plays in the
background and the devotees watch in silence. The only other sound is that of
the waves that roll endlessly. The soothing chants calm the mind and as the
flames dance and flicker. The sound of the conch uplifts the spirit and charges
the atmosphere and you can almost sense the crackle of energies, focused in
prayer and the mind quietens automatically.
This weekly ritual is an ode to the lord of the
seas into whom all the pious rivers flow. The Ocean is as blue as Krishna and
seemingly as infinite. Whilst it plays host to several creatures that are
constantly on the move.
The ocean itself doesn't move, offering them
sanctuary and the source of livelihood for many, and a protector of all
creatures, great and small, the Sagar Aarti is a fitting tribute to the lord of
the mighty oceans.
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The
temple will be kept opened between 06.00 hrs to 10.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to
20.30 hrs on week days and 06.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs to 16.00 hrs to 21.00 hrs on
Weekends and Special Days.
CONTACT DETAILS
The
Land line number +91-22-2803 4900 and you can also try this mobile number to reach
this temple… +9199401 34875.
email
address ccmt@chinmayamission.com
Temple’s
website: https://www.chinmayamission.com/inauguration-matsya-narayana-temple-uthandi-chennai/
HOW TO REACH
ON
ECR Road from Chennai Turn left on Rajaji Road at Uthandi and the temple is about
800 meters on the Sea Shore.
The
temple is about 13 KM from
Thiruvanmiyur, 31 KM from Mahabalipuram, 27 KM from Chennai Central.
Nearest
Railway Station is Thiruvanmiyur MRTS.
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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