Kunrathur is located about 25 kms from Chennai city. One can reach Kunrathur by taking the road off GST road from Pallavaram. One can also take the road from Porur junction leading to Kunrathur.Kunrathur has an ancient temple for Lord Shiva which is over 800 years old. The main deity is Sri Naageswarar and Goddess Sri Kamakshi.
This temple was built by the famous poet Sri Sekkizhaar who wrote the popular ‘Periya Puranam’. Sekkizhaar was born in Kunrathur itself. Once Kulothunga Chozha II wanted to know his intellect and tested him with his questions. Sekkizhaar answered the king perfectly and the king was amazed.The king made Sekkizhaar his minister at his capital. Sekkizhaar was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and was regularly worshipping Lord Shiva at Thirunaageswaram near Kumbakonam.
During later stages, Sekkizhaar built a temple for Lord Shiva at Kunrathur which is very similar to the Thirunaageswaram temple. He installed the deity (Shiva Lingam) with Naagaabaranam (snake as an ornament) around the Shiva Lingam and named the Lord as Sri Naageswarar.
This temple is also popularly called as Vada Thirunaageswaram.
This temple is considered the Raahu Sthalam among 9 Navagraha Temples of Chennai (or Thondai Mandalam). The Naagar around the deity is considered the ‘Raahu’ for worship. Parihaarams (remedial worship) for Raahu are done here, especially during Raahu Kethu Peyarchi and also during Raahu Kaalam (4.30 pm to 06.00 pm) on Sundays.
The temple is very huge and wonderful. The vast praakaarams add beauty to the temple. Sri Naageswarar is seen facing east and Goddess Sri Kamakshi is facing south. Sri Sekkizhaar also has a separate shrine inside the temple.
A magnificent Dwajasthambham is located on the eastern side of the temple, straight to the entrance.
Sri Nandhigeswarar is seated in a small stone mandapam and is facing east towards the sanctum.
Sthala Viruksham (holy tree) for this temple is ‘Shenbaga Maram’ and Theertham is ‘Surya Pushkarani’. Surya Pushkarani is very large and beautiful which is seen outside the temple on the south eastern side.The temple definitely showcases the dedication of Sri Sekkizhaar toward Sri Naageswarar.
DEAR SIRS
ReplyDeleteIT IS VERY NICE TO SEE YOUR EFFORTS. PLEASE PUBLISH AS A BOOK AT A LATER STAGE WITH PICTURES. ALSO PLEASE ARRANGE A RELIGIOUS GROUP TOUR TO IMPORTANT PLACES. (EITHER BY YOURSELVES OR THROUGH OTHERS)
REGARDS
TS Iyer
SANKARAM SIVA SANKARAM
ReplyDeleteGd mrng saravanan,
really beautiful temple. the kulam is maintained properly. it is happy to see like this. people have to take care of these ancient places.
thank you dear
Dear Saravanan,
ReplyDeleteI find your information very useful.
Thank you and appreciate your good job.
Regards
Devika
apart from the famous murugan temple, two more temples are there on the way. one perumal temple and one lord siva temple.siva temple is very old one which one is on the left side of the road (the last left cut)
ReplyDeletethe perumal temple is on the left side of the road the main deity is very tall .
Thanks for your efforts Saravanan
ReplyDeleteDear Sir,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your posting. Along with my family, I visited this temple today after noting it down from your blog.
It is a nice temple and indeed very old like you mentioned. It gives us immense pleasure to visit ancient temples.
It has a really big praharam (surrounding space of the temple).
Sri Naageswarar (i.e., Sivan) has a powerful & encaptive look.
Well,thanks for letting us know about this temple. It was a memorable visit for us from Chennai.
Dear Sri Saravanan,
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled by this blog of yours. If you stay in Chennai, I'd love to meet you in person. My mail id is svelliyod@yahoo.com, hope you can get in touch on mail.
Regards
Sankaran
VERY USEFUL TO VISIT THIS VADA THINAGESWARAM .
ReplyDeleteCHINNADURAI AND PASUMPON
26/10/2009
Wonderful work. god bless you.--Ravi
ReplyDeleteI was born in this village Kunrathur. Our family has a name Thirunageswaram, Many of us live abroad like me. We celeberated many temple thiruvizha every year. Those were the wonderful years. We lived in chinna street and now it is called Kubera's street signifies as wealthy. All because of the Lord Thirunageswarar. I wish I will get another chance to visit the temple again and get blessed by him.
ReplyDeleteThe name indecates that Nageswara means RAHU- a great temple to bow....Purushotham,(vijayanagar) , bangalore
ReplyDeleteis there any order to vist the navagraha temple, like the surya next moon....
ReplyDeleteplease i want to kunrathur sri nageswarar temple contact numbar
ReplyDeletethanks sir...
ReplyDeletethank you for your guide lines of thondaimandala navagraha sathalam in Chennai.
ReplyDeletekindly give us the landmark
ReplyDeleteDear Saravanan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting userful information about the temples in Chennai. While Kanchipuram, Tanjore district and there were many temple towns in TamilNadu, Chennai is also one such temple town in TN and people seldom knows about it.
I would suggest that you also give information on how to reach the temple by various mode of transport. That would be very very useful for anyone to visit the temple.
It is a good contribution. In fact being in Chennai for more than 25 years, I too did not notice so much details. Keep contributing.
ReplyDeleteAll the best.