The visit to this Sri Kachaleeswarar Temple, on Armenian Street in George Town, Chennai was a part of “Shiva and Amman Temples Visit”, in Park Town and George Town areas, on 22nd March 2015. Many Shiva and Amman temples are spread in these areas. Some of the temples are 500 years old and has a long history. Thanks to the donors, who donated the land, properties and money for constructing these temples and ensuring continuous poojas.
Moolavar : Sri Kachaleeswarar
Consort : Sri Sundarambal / Sri Azhagambigai.
Some of the salient features of this temple are...
The temple is facing east with a mandapam in front. There is no Rajagopuram. The temple is little lower than the ground level. The sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum, an antarala, ardha mandapam and maha mandapam. Moolavar is very small with Nagabaranam. Sadashivamurthy is on the back side wall of the moolavar. In koshtam Ganapathy, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and Durgai.
Panchamukha Ganapati with Siddhi and Budhi on the left and Sri Valli Devasena Shanmugar on the right at the entrance to sanctum.
In the inner prakaram Navagrahas, Nalvar, Somaskandar, Ganapathy, Sri Valli Devasena Shanmugar, Urchavar, Durgambika, Palliyarai, Chandikeswarar, 63var are in "U" form with passage, Vishnu, Dattatreya, Sabha mandapam, Gajalakshmi, Saraswati, Chandran, Kala Bairavar ( on the right entrance to Ambal Sannadhi ). Shiva’s various forms photos are hung around prakaram.
In the outer prakaram Dwajasthambam, blipedam, Rishabam, Sri Kannimoola Ganapathi, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar ( Valli and Devasena are in a separate sannadhi on the left and right of Sri Subramaniar. - With elephant vahanam ), Kosalai, Adi Sankarar, Sri Munthikeswarar, Sri Anjaneyar, Ayyappan in a separate mandapam, Sri Kachaleeswarar stucco image is on the right side entrance wall from outer to inner praharam.
Ambal is in a separate sannidhi in standing posture facing south with Abhaya and varada hastham.
ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam and maha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha adhistanam. A 3 tier stucco dravida vimana is on the sanctum sanctorum.
In Navagrahas, Suryan is with his consorts Usha and Pratyusha. On the ceiling bas reliefs of 27 nakshatras, 12 Rasis, Ashtadikpalakas, 60 years and 4 yugas.
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The temple was constructed by Thalavai Chetty in the year 1725 CE. An article on the original History of Sri Kachaleeswarar temple, was Published in Hindu by Mr V Sriram is given below with link
THE HINDU , FRIDAY REVIEW » HISTORY & CULTURE https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-columns/the-origins-of-a-temple/article3621524.ece
July 10, 2012, Updated: June 25, 2016 01:07 IST
and the blog of Sriram is reproduced as given below…….
The temple forms a square, on three sides of which is the agraharam, marking the residential area.
Kalavai Chetty, commemorated in a Chintadripet street and referred to in records as Calloway Chetty, is first mentioned in 1691, when he was declared insolvent and sentenced to prison by the Mayor’s Court. Governor Elihu Yale, commemorated in Yale University thought differently after Chetty’s relatives met him and a surety of 1,000 pagodas (the currency used then) had exchanged hands.
He demanded the immediate release of the “eminent Merchant of the Hon’ble Company”. It was perhaps the first instance in Madras of political interference in the execution of justice.
By 1708, Chetty was clearly prosperous enough to rent the villages of Tondiarpet, Purasawalkam and Egmore from the East India Company at 1,750 pagodas per annum. Within a few months, Governor Pitt, of whom Chetty was clearly a favorite, encouraged him to take on the villages of Tiruvottiyur, Nungambakkam, Vyasarpadi, Kattupakkam and Sattangadu, which he did at a rent of 1,200 pagodas per year.
Kalavai Chetty formed a joint stock company, a private limited in today’s parlance, through which he and other investing merchants supplied cloth to the East India Company. Apart from Kalavai, the shareholders were Sunkurama, Balu and Kalathi Chetties, all commemorated with street names in north Chennai. But Kalavai Chetty’s continuing involvement in caste riots ensured his dismissal from this venture in 1717 CE. He was soon back in favour, this time on payment of 40,000 pagodas as a surety.
His various dealings prevented him from regularly visiting the Kachabeswarar shrine in Kanchipuram to which he was greatly attached. He decided to build a temple for the deity in Madras itself. His garden on Armenian Street was made over for the purpose and on it came up the temple in the year 1725 CE, then referred to as the Kachali Pagoda and now known as the Kachaleeswarar Temple. Like the shrine in Kanchi, the Shiva Linga here is mounted on a turtle depicting Mahavishnu. The goddess here is Saundarambika, just as in the Kanchi temple. The temple today has several sub-shrines, including some hideous recent structures that ought to have never been erected.
Among the more aesthetic ones is a sanctum for Ayyappa. This has an interesting story behind it. In 1952, when the temple at Sabarimala was damaged by fire, a new idol was made and taken in procession to various parts of the country. When it came to Madras, it was housed at the Kachaleeswarar Temple. When the idol was taken back to Sabarimala, a portrait of the deity took its place and was worshiped. In the 1980's, this portrait was replaced by an image.
The temple forms a square, on three sides of which is the Kachaleeswarar agraharam, marking the traditional residential area. Was this endowed by Kalavai Chetty? To the rear of the shrine is a large tank. And fronting the temple is Kachali Pagoda Lane, a throwback to the old name. In the 18th century, this was the principal dancing-girl quarter of Madras. It has no vestige of that colourful past now.
Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 8th July 1962. Additional thirupani was started on 20th February 1984, completed after 5 years. Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 9th July 1989.
LEGENDS
As per the inscription available in the Temple, a Dubash Thalavai Chetty working with British East India Company, used to go to Kanchipuram and worshiped Kachabeswarar every day. One day due to natural disaster, he couldn't return to Chennai. Shri Shiva completed his jobs on behalf of Thalavai Chetty. Shiva, made all the peoples to know about Thalavai's devotion, by appearing as Thalavai Chetty at Chennai. He constructed this temple in 1725 CE. First Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 1728.
Devotees prays Shri Shiva and Ambal for child boon, to remove obstacles in marriage, to get rid of Naga dosha, poisonous insects dosha, to increase the relationship and bonding between husband and wife, etc,. It is believed that life span can be extended after doing sashtiapthapoorthi at this temple.
POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Pournami, Amavasya days, Pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, Panguni Uthiram, etc,.
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept opened between 06.30 hrs to 11.30 hrs and 16.30 hrs to 21.00 hrs.
CONTACT DETAILS
The land line telephone number +9144 2522 7177 may be contacted for further details.
HOW TO REACH
The temple is at No. 77, Armenian Street, Mannadi, George Town a part of Chennai.
The temple is about 650 meters from Mannady Metro, 2.4 KM from Chennai Central station.
Nearest Railway station is Mannady Metro.
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE :CLICK HERE
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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