Anna Nagar Ayyappan Koil is a

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Ayyappan Temple Ayyappan an incarnation of dharma sastha, also called Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil. Although devotion t ...

dedicated to the deity

Ayyappan Ayyappan an incarnation of dharma sastha, also called Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil. Although devotion ...

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is located at the junction of 6th Main Road and 2nd Avenue in

Anna Nagar Anna Nagar (formerly known as Naduvakkarai), is a neighbourhood in the metropolitan city of Chennai, India. Named after former chief minister of Tamil Nadu C. N. Annadurai, it is located in the north-western part of Chennai and forms a part o ...

History

When Anna Nagar was developed as a model town in the late 1960s, the annual ''vilakku'' pooja during the ''mandala makaravilakku'' season was celebrated by Ayyappa devotees in the newly formed Shanti Colony. The residents' response to this annual celebration resulted in the formation of the Sri Ayyappa Seva Samajam (SASS) in 1976, with 14 members in its committee. In 1979, the Samajam started a charitable medical centre for the poor and needy. The same year, a 7-ground land near the Visveswarayya Tower was allotted to the Samajam by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board for the construction of a temple, for which members contributed 38,000 towards initial payment. Initially, a makeshift temple was built in a thatched shed along with a charitable medical centre in another shed. Work on the construction of a permanent temple continued for the next five years in consultation with temple architect Kanipayyur Krishnan Namboodiri. The construction was guided by P. N. Subramaniam, the founder-president, P. Chandrasekhara Menon, the second president, and P. V. Nair, and financial support was provided by R. Ratnam, then chairman of Sundaram Industries, and P. Velayudham. In May 1984, the typical Kerala-style temple was completed, conforming to the traditional shastraic stipulations. The ''kumbabishekam'' and consecration of the idol were performed on 13 May 1984 by temple Thantri Abli Krishna Vadhyan Namboodiri and K. M. Kesva Battatripad, former chief priest of the

Sabarimala Temple The Sabarimala Temple (; ml, ശബരിമല ക്ഷേത്രം) is a temple complex located at Sabarimala hill inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Perinad Village, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India. It is one of the largest ...

. The

panchaloha ''Panchaloha'' ( sa, पञ्चलोह), also called ''Pañcadhātu'' ( sa, पञ्चधातु, lit=five metals), is a term for traditional five-metal alloys of sacred significance, used for making Hindu temple ''murti'' and jewelry. ...

Ayyappan idol was made by Chenganur T. Rajarathinam. Idols of Ganesha, Subramanya, Goddess Durga, and Anjenaya were also consecrated. Later, a Navagraha (the nine planets) shrine was added in the temple. In 1989, a unique architectural structure known as the ''Natamandapam'' with an imposing gopuram was added. In 2005, gold covering of the 22-''paras'' (segments) ''dwajasthambam'' and 27 ''thazhikakudams'' with about 6 kg of

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

was completed. A special kumbabishekam of the gold-covered dwajasthambam was performed on 20 June 2005.

The temple

The temple is built on a 40-cent land near the Visveswarayya Tower. The temple has shrines for Ganesha, Muruga, Durga, Anjaneya, Navagrahas and Nagaraja. The main sanctum of Lord Ayyappa faces west with Lord

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...

and Lord Subramanya to the left and Goddess

Durga Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around c ...

to the right, all facing east. The

Navagraha Navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu astrology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( sa, नव "nine") and ''graha'' ( sa, ग्रह "planet, seizing, laying hold of, ...

shrine is located on the southeast corner of the temple and the Anjaneya shrine is located in the southwest corner, facing east. The main door at the entrance is covered with brass plates. There is an auditorium, named after Sri Adisankara, covering about 3,600 sq ft, which can accommodate about 1,000 persons, for conducting spiritual and cultural programmes and discourses. The design of the auditorium involves the ''Koothambalam'' style found in Kerala temples.

Poojas

Poojas at the temple are conducted by Kerala namboodiris. Chief among the poojas are the mahaganapathy homam and the mritunjaya homam, performed as offerings by devotees throughout the year. The annual temple festival is celebrated during the second week of December. Other annual celebrations include the ''Arattu'' procession (when the ''utsavamoorthy'' is carried from the temple to the Marina Beach), ''pratishta dinam'', ''panguni uthiram'', ''Navarathri'', ''Skanda Shasti'', ''

Vinayaka Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayak Chaturthi (), or Ganeshotsav () is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and p ...

'' and ''

Rama Navami Rama Navami () is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu. people from different parts of Jharkhand attended the world famous international Hazaribagh procession organized in the city every ...

''. ''Kotiarchana'' is performed every fourth year by Ayyappa devotees observing ''vritham'' (fasting).

Awards

In 1998, the temple won the Mylapore Academy Award for the best maintained temple in Chennai.

References

External links

Official website of Anna Nagar Ayyappan Koil, Chennai

Ayyappa shrines in Tamil Nadu
{{List of Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu 1984 establishments in Tamil Nadu Hindu temples in Chennai Religious buildings and structures completed in 1984 20th-century architecture in India