09th Feb 2020.
The visit to this Sri Angala Parameswari Amman, a Village deity’s Temple was a part of Water matters Heritage Trail – Township Around Water, The story of Chintadripet on the banks of River Cooum, curated by Mrs Padma Priya, a Historian and Writer scheduled on 09th February 2020. The Heritage Trail started from Simpson’s Gate and finished at the Twin temples, Sri Adhipureeswarar and Adhikesava Perumal temples of Chintadripet. During this Heritage Trail, we covered Three Hindu Temples, Two Churches, Schools, Temple Umbrellas making Units, Heritage buildings, Fish Market, May day Park, A Public Library, etc,. The heritage trail was kick started with a brief intro of Chintadripet History. This article will share some details of Chintadripet History and Sri Angala Parameswari Amman Temple.
Presiding Deity : Sri Angala Parameswari
The Temple is facing east with a 3 tier Rajagopuram. In the sanctum sanctorum Angala Parameswari is sitting in sukasana with a leg resting a pedestal placed on the Lion vahana. While the upper hands holds paasam and ankusam, the lower hands are in abhaya & Varadha hastham. There is also a sannadhi for Sri Valli Devasena sametha Subramaniyar.
The prakaram around the Angala Amman is very narrow. The right side of the prakaram wall has the Green and white tiled Samadhi of a muslim saint, called Dargah. ( The details of the Muslim such as the name, from where he came are not known. As per the poojari, the Muslim saint in the middle of 18th Century, came and stayed in this temple. He used to cure the ailments of the devotees who came to this temple through his miracle power. As a token of gratitude the devotees offered food and fruits. When he knew that his life in this material world going to end, he expressed his desire to be buried in this temple premises. After he attained Samadhi, devotees offer special prayers on Thursdays and celebrates his anniversary. )
BRIEF HISTORY OF CHINTADRIPET AND THIS TEMPLE.
Chintadripet was called as Chinna Thari Petah ( சின்ன தறி பேட்டை ). Chintadripet was established by President George Morton Pitt in Sunku Rama’s ( Sunku Venkatachalam ), garden in 1734 CE. This was a planned township to settle weavers Community from Madurai and Udayarpalayam, for weaving of Indigo, long cloth, etc., required for the British market. The workers like spinner, dyers, washers, which are related to the weaving jobs and the priests, attenders, cleaners and scavengers to support are also settled.
Sunku Rama was the instrumental for the establishment of Weaver’s Colony with Telegu weavers at Kaladipet ( Collettpet ). With the clothes produced, he has become the Chief merchant of East India Company. For the same he was allotted a house in side the Fort St. George and the same was used as a godown for the cloths produced from Kaladipet. Maintaining the good rapport with Governor Collett, he has got 87 acres of Land at Chintadripet, where the Cooum River flows like a circle, before it splits & forms an island and then joins with the sea.
President George Morton Pitt, found this place was very ideal to establish of Chintadripet Township for the production of good quality of Cloth, considering the prime source of Cooum water. When he came to know that this Garden land was given to Sunku Rama as grant by the Governor Collett for which he has not paid anything to the British Govt. Governor Collett forcibly took over the garden in-spite of the severe protest raised by Sunku Rama. Finally the Chinna Thari Petah was formed and latter the name corrupted to the present name of Chintadripet.
As per some historians, the Sri Angalamman Temple, Sri Adhikesava Perumal Temple and Adhipureeswarar Temples existed even before the British occupied Madras. Experts of the opinion that these temples might have been built during 16th to 17th Century, Vijayanagara Period, but there is no evidence to prove the same.
Sri Angala Parameswarai temple, is on the west side of the Venkata Gramini Street. Gramini is a sub sect of Nadar community. This Temple was called as Sri Angalamman temple. As per the 20th Century inscription, a House ( rented to Shanmuga Sundara Nadar ) in Triplicane, Dr Natesan Street was donated to this temple and the rent collected from the house has to be deposited in the bank and an amount of Rs 240, to be utilized for the daily poojas, under the supervision of V M Nataraja Nadar, M Sambanda Nadar & K Kanniappa Nadar .
POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from daily poojas, special poojas are offered for the Samadhi on Thursdays, Fridays, The Mayana kollai, on the next day of Maha Shiva Rathri is celebrated, in a grand manner.
TEMPLE TIMINGS:
The temple will be kept opened between 07.00 hrs to 10.00 hrs and 17.00 Hrs to 20.00 Hrs.
HOW TO REACH:
The temple is on the Venkata Gramini Street off Arunachala Street.
The temple is 600 Meters from Chintadripet MRTS Railway Station and 3.7 KM from Chennai Central Railway Station and 10 KM from CMBT Bus Terminus.
Nearest Railway Station is Chennai Central.
LOCATION: CLICK HERE
A Samadhi of Muslim Saint ( Dargah )
An Inscription
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---
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