Kundrathur Murugan Temple is a Hindu temple located in

Kundrathur Kundrathur is a south western suburb of the city of Chennai, India and it comes under Kanchipuram District limits. It is the birthplace of Sekkizhar, a well-known poet-saint who authored the Periyapuranam. The locality is known for the Kundr ...

, a suburb of

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 ...

in the

Kancheepuram district Kancheepuram district is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The area comprising the present day Kancheepuram district was earlier a part of Chingleput district. The original Chingleput district was split in 1997 into ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Subramaniar (Murugan) stayed on the hill during his travels from

Tiruporur Thiruporur is a panchayat town in Chengalpattu district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Thiruporur Kandaswamy temple is situated in the center of the town. There is a large temple tank in the vicinity of the temple. Thiruporur is located ...

to Tiruttanigai. This place is also known as South Thanigai since Lord Subramaniar is standing facing the direction of north, facing Thanigai.

Architecture

This is the only Murugan temple in Tamil Nadu where the God is standing in a north facing direction. This temple was constructed by King

Kulothunga Chola II Kulothunga Chola II was a Chola Emperor from 1133 CE to 1150 CE. He succeeded Vikrama Chola to the throne in 1135 CE. Vikrama Chola made Kulothunga his heir apparent and coregent in 1133 CE, so the inscriptions of Kulothunga II count his reign ...

. The speciality of this temple is that Lord Subramaniar can be seen only with one Goddess at a time even though he is there along with both the Goddesses. If the God is viewed from one side he can be seen along with Goddess

Valli Vaḷḷi ( ta, வள்ளி) ("Creeper, Sweet potato plant") is a Hindu goddess, and the second consort of the deity Murugan. An incarnation of the goddess Sundaravalli, daughter of Vishnu, Valli is born on earth as the daughter of a chieft ...

and viewed from the other side, he can be seen along with Goddess

Deivayanai Devasena (, ) is a Hindu goddess of aspiration, and the consort of the war god Kartikeya (Murugan). She is also known as Devayanai, Deivanai, and Deivayanai in Tamil texts. Her name is also spelled as Teyvanai or Tevayanai (). Devasena is ...

. There are 84 steps to reach this hill temple. Vehicles (cars, bikes, autos) can also be driven up the hill right up to the front of the temple on the hill, for those that cannot walk up the 84 steps. The temple is very close to the outer ring road for those that need faster accessibility to the temple. Pallavaram to Kundrathur there are a lot of buses too but do not go all the way to the temple.

History

Once winning the demons in Thiruporur, Lord Muruga went to Thirutani in a joyous spirit. He placed a Siva Linga, performed pooja and meditated deep. The temple was subsequently constructed by the great Chola King Kulothunga Chola. Lord Siva, worshiped by Lord Muruga graces the worshipers in the name of Kandaleeswarar in a separate shrine.

References

{{Kanchipuram district Hindu temples in Chennai Hindu temples in Kanchipuram district

Architecture

History

See also

References