Places of Interest

TEMPLES AND OTHER INTERESTING PLACES

1. VAITHEESWARAN TEMPLE

The Vaitheeswaran temple is one among the Navagraha temples of Chennai dedicated to Angaaragan (Mars in English or Chevvaai in Tamil). It is said that Sri Angaaragan worshipped Lord Shiva at this place.

Sri Angaaragan’s paadham (foot mark) is found in the temple just outside the shrine under the Panai (Palm) tree sculpted in stone.

This temple is a parihaara sthalam for Chevvai Dhosham.

Special poojas are done here on Tuesdays for Sri Angaaragan. The temple is huge with vast prakaarams (corridors).

The main deity faces east in the form of a Shiva Linga. Goddess Sri Thaiyyal Naayagi faces south.

There are 3 Chakras installed by Sri Aadhi Shankara in the prakaaram called Sri Chakram, Subramanya Chakram and Shanmuga Chakram. On the northern prakaaram there is a Baana Linga installed facing the entrance. While there is an entrance at the eastern side, the temple has its main entrance and Rajagopuram( king tower) facing north. There are beautiful carvings on either side of the entrance.

This temple is also called ‘Uthara Vaitheeswaran Koil’.

2. ARULMIGU SHRI THIRUKACHI NAMBIGAL AND VARADARAJA PERUMAL KOIL

This temple is the dedicated to the famous saint Sri Thirukkachchi Nambigal and is the avathara sthalam of the saint. The Kshetram is around 1,200 years old. The presiding deities are Sriranganathan of Srirangam, Srinivasan of Tirupati and Varadarajan of Kancheepuram. Sthala Thayar is Pushpavalli Thayar. Thirukkachchi Nambigal is an ardent devotee of Devarajan (Varadarajan) of Kancheepuram and used to travel to the abode of Devarajan daily for Pushpa and Aalavatta Kainkaryam. When the saint fell ill Devarajan himself had come down to his place to enable him to perform his duties to him. Nambigal had the power to speak with Devarajan. Ramanuja (the famous 12th Alwar of Vaishnavism) is a disciple of Nambigal. Nambigal helped him to clear his doubts and pronounced the “Six Words – Agam Evam Param Thathvam..”. Masi Mrighasirsham is Nambi’s Naksatram and the temple celebrates his Nakshatram every year in a grand way. The Utsavam is for 10 days and falls in and around February every year.