The
visit to this Sri Kooliswarar Temple at Kondangi was a part of Shiva and Vishnu
Temples and a Shiva Temple with Gajaprishta Vimana, at Melaiyur in Chengalpattu
District on 3rd September 2023.
The original temple is also believed to be more than 1000 years old, and the legend (பிட்டுக்கு மண்
சுமந்த படலம்), one of the Thiruvilayadal Purana of
Shri Shiva, is associated with this temple, hence Shiva is called as Koolishwarar. But the history is a little different. The details are given below...
Moolavar : Sri Koolishwarar
Consort : Sri Tripura Sundari.
Some
of the salient features of this temple are….
The
temple faces east with an entrance from the East side. Stucco image of Shiva and
Parvati as Rishabroodar is on the top of the ardha mandapam / mukha mandapam. Balipeedam,
Dwajasthambam, and Rishabam are in front of the temple. Vinayagar and Murugan
are on both sides of the ardha mandapam entrance. Moolavar is a little large on a
round avudayar. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and
Durgai. A balipeedam and a Rishabam are also in the ardha mandapam. The Maha
Vishnu idol is in the ardha mandapam facing east.
Ambal
is in a separate temple, facing south in front of the temple. Ambal is standing
posture with abhaya varada hastam.
In
praharam, Nagars, Anjaneyar, Dakshinamurthy, Lakshmi Narayana Perumal and Navagrahas.
Lakshmi Narayana Perumalunder a bilva tree
ARCHITECTURE
The
temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, and maha
mandapam. Hope the maha mandapam was constructed at a later period by the Vijayanagara Nayakas. The complete adhistanam is not visible outside. An
ekatala vesara vimanam is over the sanctum sanctorum. No murtis in the tala
koshtams. The Ambal sannidhi was constructed in recent years, and the vimanam is
of the Salakara style.
HISTORY AND
INSCRIPTIONS
It
was said that the temple belongs to the Chozha period, and mukha mandapam was added
during the Vijayanagara period. The dilapidated temple stones, which include pranala (Yazhi)/komukha, and ceiling stones, are used for the Kondangi eri overflow/weir point. The photos taken are uploaded in this post. The temple was reconstructed with the remaining stones.
Shiva might have been called Kooliswarar due to a Tax called Neerkooli imposed on Pattaviruthi lands during the Vijayanagara period. A 19th
to 20th-century inscription stone is installed at the entrance of
the temple.
This Ancient temple was called திருகுழீஸ்வரர் கோயில், which has been corrupted to the present name of Kooliswarar and one of the Thiruvilaiyadal Purana was connected as a legend to Shiva of this temple.
The Vijayanagara King Veerasingarayan's representative Ramalinga Ayyan, inscription (1506 CE), records that the Taxes of Neerkuli - Neerkooli - நீர்க்கூலி to the Pattaviruthi lands (பட்டவிருத்தி - பாட்ட விருத்தி - பாட்டமீமாம்ஸையின் பிரவசனத்துக்காக விடப்பெற்ற நிலம்).
In 1537 CE, the Vijayanagara King's representative Thimmappa Nayaka's period inscription records the gift of land for the continuation of worship at this temple. (ARE 1934-35, Nos 53 & 54).
The Inscription at Nellikuppam Vendavarasi Amman Temple records that Kathiri Nayakkan, a representative of the King, collected the taxes and given to the Kondangi Thirukuzhieswaramudayar temple to burn a lamp in memory of his parents. Also, he made an agreement with merchants for the supply of required oil (A R E 1934 -35 No 52).
Ref:
Tholliyial Nokkil Kanchipuram Mavattam by Sa Krishnamurthy.
Ashta Bandhana Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 1st
February 2009.
Maha
Vishnu was obtained from the Kondangi Lake during the process of cleaning/desilting.
LEGENDS
It
is believed that the temple legend is associated with one of the
Thiruvilaiyadal purana of Shiva – i.e., pittukku man sumantha padalam. (How this legend was added to this temple is not known. When the river Vaigai was flooded, it
breached the banks. So the Pandya king ordered that a person from each
house come to stop the breach. An old lady who sells pittu does not have children. So
she prayed to Shiva. Shiva came and asked what, if he goes as a representative, she can offer. The old lady replied that she would give pittu. Agreed, Shiva, went to the spot, and was sleeping under a tree. On
seeing this, the King beat Shiva with a stick. On receiving the beat, Shiva vanished, and the breach also stopped. The beating by the king was witnessed by everybody.
The Pandya King realised that the
representative who came for the old lady was none other than Shiva. The King prayed to Shiva to forgive him.
Shiva pardoned the Pandya King and blessed him.
POOJAS AND
CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on pradosham, Maha Shivaratri,
etc.
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The
temple will be kept open from 07.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and from 17.00 hrs to
19.00 hrs.
CONTACT DETAILS
HOW TO REACH
This
place is Kondangi, 15.5 km from Thiruporur, 26 km from Tambaram, 21 km from
Chengalpattu, and 55 km from Chennai Central Station.
The nearest
Railway Station is Chengalpattu.
LOCATION OF THE
TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
Ambal Temple
Ambal Temple
Anjaneyar Temple
The
dilapidated temple stones, which include pranala (Yazhi)/ komukha, and ceiling stones, are used for the Kondangi eri overflow/weir point. The
Photos taken are uploaded in this post. The temple was reconstructed
with the remaining stones.
Sluice gate
---
OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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