Sri Maragadhavalli sametha Sri Margasahayeshwarar and Sri KarunakaraPerumal temple Maduravoyal,Chennai

Another Gem of an ancient temple came to my notice recently as I was travelling on the busy Poonamalle high road. A recently put up sign board drew my attention to this ancient temple and I could visit it today. The temple has been taken up by the Archeological survey of India and is being re built.You would never imagine such a peaceful ancient temple exists near this busy highway.

The Vishnu temple was actually situated nearby on the banks of the cooum.Apparently in 1970’s there was flooding and the temple was washed away and the Moola virat was rescued and installed in this Shiva temple.

HOW TO REACH:

On Poonamalle highroad as you are coming from the Kanchi/ Bangalore side towards Chennai you will cross the inner ring road and then come to the first signal.Just after this is the Maduravoyal corporation office and adjacent to this is the narrow lane leading to the temple. Since I was not sure about this road I proceeded a bit straight and took the next acute left turn  east mada street and reached the temple

The main Shiva temple is undergoing renovation

Due to the renovation the main lord is in Balalayam and kept in a small enclosure in the for court next to the navagraha. The most captivating thing here was the sheer peace and greenery with multiple Ganeshas under various banyan trees

There were also a mango tree , Bhilva tree and Jack fruit tree all with fruits

In the hind court of the temple complex is the Karunakara perumal temple with Sridevi and Bhoodevi.

Picture of the main deity taken with the permission of the Bhattar below

A small derelict temple which I am sure will be attracting more visitors shortly

Esalam Shri.Ramanadheshwara temple

This temple has the uniqueness of having been rebuilt recently and in daily puja. It was built as a tribute to Rajaraja Cholas teacher and has exquisite stone carvings. The main temple dome itself is built of stone unlike other temples. There is newly applied oil paint on the main  gate, but the main temple is of stone wellrenovated by ASI.

How to reach:Click to view my blog on how to reach

I reached this place by afternoon 2 PM. The temple was locked obviously , I could only click pics from outside.

Ennaiyiram Shri.Narasimhaswamy temple

This temple was built by Rajaraja Chola and while excavating a huge inscription of 80+ lines describing the king as his “Meikeerthi” (various titles and exploits) of a Chola king. The inscription actually runs to 80 lines, but only lines from 54 to 80 are unearthed and lines 1 to 53 are yet to be located.

There are records of a vedapatashala being run here with 270 students, hostel, hospital and doctors with their wage details have been found. The Tamil poet, Kalamegam, famous for his puns, belonged to Ennayiram.

Ennayiram means 8000.Various explanations are available for this

It was the place where 8000 jains were put to death for not denouncing Jainism or where 8000 jains embraced Hinduism ?

8000 North Indians were settled here by Rajendra Chola  in this area

The Tamil Iyers have a sub sect ashta sahasram (8000) who are believed to be from this stock

Saint Ramanuja and  Koorathazhwar also visited this temple

   

Sri Dharmeeshwarar temple at Manimangalam near Chennai

Manimangalam Temples a brief summary :

Having been inspired by Kalki’s Sivagamiyin sabadham I was very keen to visit this place a small village near Sriperumbudur and Tambaram. This is the place where the pallava king  Mahendravarma and later his son  Narasimha Varma Pallava  (Ma mallan) along with his minister Paranjothi (also known as Siruseedan one of the nayanmars round about 735 AD). defeated Pulakesi II of the chalukya dynasty and they proceeded to chase him as far north as VATAPI (present day Badami in North Karnataka) and vanquished him  The original name of this place was Chaturvedi mangalam and it is said that there are numerous stone sculptures strewn around this village and also the temples here bound with lots of inscriptions which talk of how the chalukyas needed to be decimated and not shown any mercy!!

Dr.Gift Siromoney a legend of madras Christian college in his book has this to say about Manimangalam and its archeological treasures

http://www.cmi.ac.in/gift/Archeaology/arch_mpillar.htm

once I reached I came to know that there is another temple for Vishnu Vaikunta perumal temple . There are a lot of inscriptions found here .in these temples

http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_3/manimangalam.html

I have been greatly helped by the blogs  of Sri Raju and Shri saravanan about these temples

http://www.dharsanam.com/2009/03/manimangalam-sri-dharmeswarar.html

http://shanthiraju.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/visit-to-somangalam-and-manimangalam-temples/

How to reach::

There are three routes to reach this village.

1) From Tambaram : Just before the Hindu mission hospital take a right turn into Sriperumbudur road /Mudichur road. Proceed for 10 kms when the road takes a turn to the right which is Manimangalam

2) From Sriperumbudur: On NH 4 after you cross the Rajiv Gandhi memorial there is a signal with a left towards Vandalur. It is also called Darkas road State highway 110  or Kodambakkam sriperumbudur road proceed for about 1 km and take a right turn towards Vandalur to reach Manimangalam. It is about 19-20 kms from the NH 4

3) From Kunrathur: From Kunrathur  Thirunageshwaram temple/Sekkhizar school take the highway adjacent to the temple.it will run parallel to the NH 4. After about 1 Km the road cuts across the Outer ring road from thiruninravur to Vandalur. Take a left into this road and you will reach Mudichur in about 10 kms. Manimangalam is a further  km away on the right. The distance is about16 kms from Kunrathur

This trip I could see only the two Shiva temples the Kurukall of the perumal temple had already left by 10 Am after completing the daily pooja so I was unfortunate to find the Vishnu temples locked. I shall maybe come back another day

A stones throw away from the Kailasanathar temple is this temple. The temple is ASI managed and I was impressed by the presence of a supervisor on a Sunday who ran to the kurukkal’s house and got the keys at about 11 am and showed us around. He refused any remuneration!!

On the approach road is a well directed sign

There is a prominent board by ASI also

The front lawn was occupied by young men playing cricket on a Sunday morning in the shade of the peepul tree

As in any ASI monument photography was allowed and I post these here

As you enter the main gate you see the Ambal sannidhi in front (Vedhaambigai) with the main  Nandi and bali peetam placed outside the main  temple wall!! there is a small recess for Nandi to see the lord inside. So Ambal and Nandi are away from the inner temple!

( Ambal sannidhi seen in front) The Ambal was covered with greenish moss/ fungus probably due to the monsoon rains

The entrance to the main temple with the pillars having many miniature carvings of Ganesha and Subramanian in many forms

The entire outer walls have extensive inscriptions about the endowments, history and local grants by prominent citizens a virtual history record!!

The sanctum has a huge Siva lingam in the Garba gruha with a navagraha in the ante chamber. there is a separate grilled area inside for the utsava moorthy which is sadly lacking as it was apparently stolen long time ago.

The outside of the temple has multiple Ganesha under Bilva trees, a Bhairava is also there in a separate niche along with a  separate Shanishwarar.sannidhi

Murugan

(second Ganesha)

(Shanishwarar with Crow as vahana in his separate niche )

The walls of the main  temple have Ganesha, Dakshina murthy,Perumal,Brahma,Durga and also a Chandikeshwara nearby

(side view of the temple with Ganesha and Dakshinamurthy)

(Dakshinamurthy)

Ganesha

Perumal behind the temple

There are a lot of vigrahas partly damaged and kept aside

 

A very peaceful temple so close to bustling civilisation crying for patronage!!

Sri Kailasanathar Temple at Manimangalam near chennai

A brief history of Manimangalam

Manimangalam Temples

History

Having been inspired by Kalki’s Sivagamiyin sabadham I was very keen to visit this place a small village near Sriperumbudur and Tambaram. This is the place where the pallava king  Mahendravarma and later his son  Narasimha Varma Pallava  (Ma mallan) along with his minister Paranjothi (also known as Siruseedan one of the nayanmars round about 735 AD). defeated Pulakesi II of the chalukya dynasty and they proceeded to chase him as far north as VATAPI (present day Badami in North Karnataka) and vanquished him  The original name of this place was Chaturvedi mangalam and it is said that there are numerous stone sculptures strewn around this village and also the temples here bound with lots of inscriptions which talk of how the chalukyas needed to be decimated and not shown any mercy!!

Dr.Gift Siromoney a legend of madras Christian college in his book has this to say about Manimangalam and its archeological treasures

http://www.cmi.ac.in/gift/Archeaology/arch_mpillar.htm

once I reached I came to know that there is another temple for Vishnu , the Vaikunta perumal temple . There are a lot of inscriptions found here .in these temples

http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_3/manimangalam.html

I have been greatly helped by the blogs  of Sri Raju and Shri saravanan about these temples

http://www.dharsanam.com/2009/03/manimangalam-sri-dharmeswarar.html

http://shanthiraju.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/visit-to-somangalam-and-manimangalam-temples/

How to reach::

There are three routes to reach this village.

1) From Tambaram : Just before the Hindu mission hospital take a right turn into Sriperumbudur road /Mudichur road. Proceed for 10 kms when the road takes a turn to the right which is Manimangalam

2) From Sriperumbudur: On NH 4 after you cross the Rajiv Gandhi memorial there is a signal with a left towards Vandalur. It is also called Darkas road State highway 110  or Kodambakkam sriperumbudur road proceed for about 1 km and take a right turn towards Vandalur to reach Manimangalam. It is about 19-20 kms from the NH 4

3) From Kunrathur: From Kunrathur  Thirunageshwaram temple/Sekkhizar school take the highway adjacent to the temple.it will run parallel to the NH 4. After about 1 Km the road cuts across the Outer ring road from thiruninravur to Vandalur. Take a left into this road and you will reach Mudichur in about 10 kms. Manimangalam is a further  km away on the right. The distance is about16 kms from Kunrathur

This trip I could see only the two Shiva temples the Kurukall of the perumal temple had already left by 10 Am after completing the daily pooja so I was unfortunate to find the Vishnu temples locked. I shall maybe come back another day

I read an article  once in the Hindu where a 1000 year temple was in dilapidated condition. http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/02/stories/2006090208830100.htm

Thankfully a group of people from SRI PALANIANDAVER TRUST have come forward and are in the process of renovating the temple since 2009. The temple is supposedly built in 950 AD by the telugu Chola king Vijaya Baalaya Chola. Later, this temple was renovated during various periods by Raja Raja Chola (985 AD), Rajendra Chola (1014 AD) and Kulothunga Chola (1070 AD).as per the local inscriptions available

This is the first temple you see on the left when you enter Manimangalam from Tambaram/ Mudichur.The lord has been shifted to a shed and Balalayam has been done and the temple is being rebuilt

( Main sanctum being built)

(Nandi mandapam in front of the sanctum the lord is now housed in the shed seen behind)

(A view inside the shed)

There is a new Ganapathy temple painted yellow which has been constructed here