VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple / Sri Meenakshi Temple / ஸ்ரீ மீனாக்ஷி சுந்தரேஸ்வரர் கோயில், Nolambur, Ambattur Industrial area, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Tuesday, 12 December 2023

Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple / Sri Meenakshi Temple / ஸ்ரீ மீனாக்ஷி சுந்தரேஸ்வரர் கோயில், Nolambur, Ambattur Industrial area, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple at Nolambur a part of Ambattur Industrial Estate was a part of the “Lesser Known Vishnu, Shiva, Amman Temples of Chennai Visit”, on 23^rd October 2022. Most of the temples were reconstructed in recent years and some retain their original structure. All these temples have a long history of Pallava, Chozha, and Vijayanagaras.

இருபதுமு மென்குரற் கிண்கிணியு முறையிட்

டிரைந்திடு மரிச்சிலம்பும்

இறுமிறு மருங்கென் றிரங்குமே கலையும்பொ

னெழுதும்செம் பட்டு வீக்குந்

திருவிடையு முடைதார மும்மொட் டியாணமுஞ்

செங்கைப் பசுங்கிள்ளையுந்

திருமுலைத் தரளவுத் தரியமும் மங்கலத்

திருநாணு மழகொழுகநின்

றருள்பொழியு மதிமுகமு முகமதியி னெடுநில

வரும்புகுறு நகையுஞான

ஆனந்த மாக்கடல் குடைந்துகுழை மகரத்தொ

டமராடு மோடரிக்கட்

பொருகயலும் வடிவழகு பூத்தசுந் தரவல்லி

பொன்னூச லாடியருளே

புழுகுநெய்ச் சொக்கர்திரு வழகினுக் கொத்தகொடி

பொன்னூச லாடியருளே.

---- குமரகுருபர சுவாமிகள் பாடியருளிய மீனாட்சி பிள்ளைத்தமிழ்

Moolavar : Sri Sundareswarar

Consort : Sri Meenakshi

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

The temple faces east with an entrance arch. Shiva with Parvati as Sundareswarar and Meenakshi Marriage along with Nandi playing Mridangam, Maha Lakshmi, Maha Vishnu, Saraswathi Vinayagar, Naradar, Brahma conducting the velvi, stucco image is on the top of the entrance arch.

Balipeedam and Rishabam / idabam are in the mukha mandapam. Stucco dwarapalakas are on both sides of sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar is little large. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar and Durgai.

Ambal is in a separate sannidhi facing east on the right side of the Moolavar Temple. Ambal’s various forms are in the Koshtam.

In praharam Nalvar, Vinayagar, Vibhuti Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Chathurbhuja Anjaneyar, a Siddhar, Maha Lakshmi, Naga Lingam, Nataraja with Sivagami, Patanjali and Vyaghrapada ( all are made of Stone – Natarajar stands on left leg, lifting the right leg ), Bairavar and Navagrahas.

ARCHITECTURE

In temple layout and construction, some aspects of Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple are followed. The total temple is constructed with Bricks and cement concrete. Potramarai Kulam and Vibhuti Vinayagar are on the left side of the entrance.

The Moolavar Shri Sundareswarar Temple consists of a sanctum sanctorum, Ardha mandapam, and an open Mukha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a Pada bandha adhistanam, with jagathy, vrudha kumudam. 6 Elephant faces with trunks are on both sides of the koshtams. 3 Three-tier Nagara Vimanam is on the sanctum sanctorum. Ambal temple was also constructed in the same manner.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The original temple may be 150 to 200 years old and the present temple was constructed during recent years.

LEGENDS

Since the temple’s layout ( like Potramarai Kulam, Vibhuti Vinayagar, etc ), the Construction of the Sanctum Sanctorum is followed like Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, the legend associated with Madurai temple is also told in this temple. Hence Some of the festivals are also conducted similarly to the Madurai temple.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from Regular Poojas, special poojas are conducted on Pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, and Kandar Sashti with Soorasamharam in the month of October – November ( This year it was planned to be conducted on 31-10-2022 ), Meenakshi Amman Thirukalyanam, etc,. Since the temple is constructed similarly to Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, some of the celebration of Madurai Temple is also followed in this temple.