Thiruvalluvar Temple, Mylapore
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The Ekambareswarar–Kamakshi Temple, commonly known as the Thiruvalluvar Temple, is a
Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...
dedicated to the poet-saint
Valluvar Thiruvalluvar commonly known as Valluvar, was a Tamil poet and philosopher. He is best known as the author of the ''Tirukkuṟaḷ'', a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love. The text is considered an exc ...
in the neighborhood of
Mylapore Mylapore (also spelt Mayilapur), or Thirumayilai, is a neighbourhood in the central part of the city of Chennai, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the celebrated Tamil ...
in
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. The shrine is located within the Ekambareswarar temple complex. Believed to have been constructed in the early 16th century, the temple was extensively renovated in the 1970s. Traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Saint Valluvar, the temple is the oldest ever built to Valluvar. The temple also serves as the venue for meetings of
Tamil language Tamil (, , , also written as ''Tamizhil'' according to linguistic pronunciation) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. It is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world,. "Tamil is one of ...
enthusiasts and conducting
Kural The ''Tirukkuṟaḷ'' (), or shortly the ''Kural'' (), is a classic Tamil language text on commoner's morality consisting of 1,330 short couplets, or Kural (poetic form), kurals, of seven words each. The text is divided into three books wit ...
classes. While many consider the temple as the birthplace of Valluvar, some additionally consider it as his samadhi (place of cremation).


Tradition and history

The temple was originally believed to be a village temple dedicated to
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
during the times of Valluvar. Valluvar is traditionally believed to have been born under the '' iluppai'' or butter tree (''Madhuca indica'') within this temple complex, where he was found and taken for adoption by his foster parents. This claim is attributed to the poem ''Kapilar Akaval'', which states that Valluvar was born on the top of an oil-nut or ''iluppai'' tree in Mayilapuram. Legend has it that close to the time of Valluvar's death,
Elelasingan Elelasingan () (between 1st century BCE and 5th century CE), also known as Elelasimha, Elelasingan Chettiyar, Elela and Alara, was a Tamil merchant who lived in Mylapore, by the shores of the Pallava Kingdom, trading between India and Ceylon. He ...
, a merchant at Mylapore and the disciple of Valluvar, expressed his desire to place Valluvar's body in a golden coffin and erect a monumental grave. Refusing his request, Valluvar asked him to tie his corpse with cords and leave it among the woods outside the town in order for the wild animals to feed on it. Elelasingan obliged to his mentor's wishes and, upon doing so, observed that the crows and other animals that fed on his corpse "became beautiful as gold." He then built a small temple at the site and instituted worship, where it remained for centuries. The present shrine was built on the ruins of the old shrine located in a grove within the existing Shiva temple complex in the early 16th century. The temple is the oldest known temple ever built to Saint Valluvar. The
British civil servant In the United Kingdom, the Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy or secretariat of Crown employees that supports His Majesty's Government, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government, which is led by a cabinet of ministers chosen by ...
of the
Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...
Francis Whyte Ellis Francis Whyte Ellis (1777–1819) was a British civil servant in the Madras Presidency and a scholar of Tamil and Sanskrit. Biography Ellis became a writer in the East India Company's service at Madras in 1796. He was promoted to the offices o ...
mentions the temple in his early-19th-century stone inscription found in the Periyapalayathamman temple at
Royapettah Royapettah is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India. Location Royapettah is located at the central part of the city of Chennai, with an elevation of 9 m (29 ft.) above mean sea level. The neighbourhood comes under Teynampet Zone (numbe ...
. The Ekambareshwarar temple is widely considered as the birthplace of Valluvar by the public and historians, although some additionally consider it as the place of his death and cremation. Valluvar is believed to have been born on ''Vaikasi Anusha'' ( Anusha star in the Tamil month of Vaikasi) and attained
moksha ''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...
on ''Maasi Utthra'' ( Utthra star in the Tamil month of
Maasi Maasi is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County, on the eastern part of Saaremaa Island, Estonia. It is located just northwest from Orissaare, the administrative centre of the municipality. Maasi is bordered by Väike väin Straits on its n ...
). In his 1989 book entitled ''Thirumayilayin Thirukoilgal'', S. Rajendran indicates that the temple was built in the early part of the 16th century. The book also mentions that the temple's history is documented much earlier by Nathamuni Mudaliar in 54 Tamil verses in his work entitled ''Thirumayilai Thalapuranam'', which chronicles the history of various Shiva temples in Mylapore. The revised version of the work was later published as a book by N. Singaravelan Mudaliar in 1929. The ''Temple Directory of Madras City'' reports the claim that the temple was constructed by the Raja of Benares, although the dates are unknown. Joanne Punzo Waghorne, professor of religion at
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
, cites this claim in her work and adds that a survey from 1990 dates the temple to the 16th century. She also notes that two men, one from the Naicker community and another from the Chettiar community, made some renovations in 1935 and that the remains of the ancient sacred tree was preserved and made a monument only in 1973. Three statues, namely, Valluvar's father, Valluvar's mother holding her child, and Valluvar seated in meditating posture, along with Valluvar's feet were installed in the same year during consecration to mark Valluvar's birthplace. Except for the stone idols in the temple, no traces of the original temple structure remain after the 20th-century renovation by the government. The original statue of Valluvar in the shrine is said to have been taken away by the government along with several palm-leaf manuscripts that were preserved in the temple. The bronze idols in the temple are believed to be made during the 19th century. After the renovation and consecration of 1973, consecrations were held in 1985 and 2001, and the most recent one was in 2020. The tradition of celebrating Valluvar's birthday annually on ''Vaikasi Anusham'' (a day in May) was officially accepted on 18 and 19 May 1935, when a group of Tamil scholars and researchers congregated at the
Pachaiyappa's College Pachaiyappa's College is one of the oldest educational institutions in Chennai, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In addition, it is the first sole Indian college in Madras Presidency. History Pachaiyappa's College, Chennai is the resul ...
auditorium under the leadership of
Maraimalai Adigal Maraimalai Adigal (15 July 1876 – 15 September 1950) was a Tamil Saivite writer, orator and father of the Tanittamil Iyakkam movement. He authored more than 100 books, including works on original poems and dramas and notable research works o ...
and officially declared Valluvar year and the Valluvar Day celebrations. A procession organized on the first day concluded at the Valluvar temple and a mass worship was organized at the temple on the same day. The temple was under the aegis of Sivagyana Mudaliyar before it was taken over by the Hindu Religious and Charity Endowment Department of the
state government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonom ...
. In the neighbourhood of Mylapore, which is known for its "Sapta Sthana Shiva sthalas" or the sacred seven-some Shiva shrines (which includes the Karaneeswarar Temple, Tirttapaleeswarar Temple, Velleeswarar Temple, Virupakshiswarar Temple, Valeeswarar Temple, Malleeswarar Temple, and
Kapaleeshwarar Temple The Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. It is located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple was built around the 7th century CE and is an example of South Indian Architecture. Kamath ...
), the Ekambareshwarar–Valluvar temple is traditionally considered the indispensable eighth.


The temple

The Valluvar shrine is located within the Ekambareswarar temple complex in a narrow lane adjacent to the Valluvar statue on Royapettah High Road, off Mundagakanni Amman Koil street and behind the Thanithorai market in Mylapore. Situated on a 25-ground plot, the temple complex has exclusive sanctums for various deities, namely,
Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), 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 the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
,
Subramanya Subramaniam, Subrahmaniam, Subramaniam or Subramanian (; ) is a South Indian male given name. Due to the South Indian tradition of using patronymic surnames it may also be a surname for males and females. The etymology of the name is from Sanskri ...
,
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
(Ekambaranathar shiva linga) and
Parvathi Parvati (, , IPA: / pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: / gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, d ...
(Kamakshi), Thiruvalluvar and his consort
Vasuki Vasuki () is the king of the nagas in Hinduism. He is described as having a gem called '' Nagamani'' (serpent's ornament) on his head. Shesha, another king of the nagas and the bed on which Vishnu rests, is his elder brother, and Manasa, a ...
,
Durga Durga (, ) 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 combating evils and demonic ...
, the Navagrahas, and goddess Karumariamman (an incarnation of goddess Parvathi). On a traditional clockwise circumambulatory trip around the temple corridor, the shrines of Shiva and Parvathi appear along with Ganesha and Subramanya, followed by the sanctums of Karumariamman and ''nagakkal'' (carved stone slabs depicting holy snakes) representing
Nagaraja A Nagaraja ( ', ) is a king of the various races of the nāga, the divine or semi-divine, half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld ( Patala), and can occasionally take human form. Rituals devoted to these supernatural being ...
beneath a holy
neem ''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, margosa, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of the two species in the genus '' Azadirachta''. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and to parts of S ...
tree (''Azadirachta indica'') at the southwestern corner of the temple complex. The lintel of the main shrine of Ekambaranathar bears the
stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...
idols of Valluvar worshiping Shiva and Parvathi. The ''palli arai'', or the divine bedchamber, lies behind the Shiva shrine, where the processional deities are symbolically laid to rest for the day. The sanctum of Valluvar is a two-roomed shrine enclosed by an open-pillared portico known as the ''maha mantapam'' or the meditation hall. The very first couplet of the ''Tirukkural'' is written at the entrance of Valluvar's sanctum. The Valluvar sanctum enshrines a large stone idol of Valluvar seated on a pedestal along with smaller
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
idols of both Valluvar and Vasuki below the pedestal. Valluvar's stone idol is sculpted in padmasana posture with chin mudra. The idol also features elongated ears,
Linga A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, wher ...
on the head,
rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...
on one hand, palm-leaf manuscripts on the other, and a robe bearing the ''panchakshara mantra'' (five-lettered mantra) of "Namah Shivaya". The ''shikhara'' (a large cupola over the sanctum) of the Valluvar's shrine bears stucco idols of Valluvar. The main shrine of Vasuki is found at the northwestern corner of the temple complex near the Valluvar shrine. The idol of Vasuki is patterned after the Hindu deity
Kamakshi Tripura Sundari (Sanskrit: त्रिपुरसुन्दरी, IAST: Tripura Sundarī), also known as Lalita, Shodashi, Kamakshi, and Rajarajeshvari, is a Hindu goddess, revered primarily within the Shaktism tradition and recognized as o ...
inside the sanctum. The idols of all the main deities, including Ekambareshwarar, Valluvar, Vasuki, and Karumariamman face towards the east. The temple ''shikhara'' (spire) above the sanctum shows scenes of Hindu life and deities, along with Valluvar reading his couplets to his wife. The present ''sthala vriksha'' (sanctum tree) is located in front of the Vasuki sanctum, beside the meditation hall and the original sanctum tree. The walls of the temple are adorned with koshta images of deities such as
Dakshinamurthy Dakshinamurti () is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as a guru (teacher). He is regarded to be the personification of the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding, and knowledge. Dakshinamurti represents Shiva as a teacher of yoga, m ...
,
Lingodbhava Lingōdbhava ''(also called Lingobhava, the "emergence of the Linga")'' is an iconic representation of Hindu god Shiva, commonly seen in temples in Tamil Nadu. The iconography of Lingodbhava represents Shiva emerging out of the pillar of light, ...
,
Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...
, and goddess
Durga Durga (, ) 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 combating evils and demonic ...
. Other small sub-shrines within the temple complex include that of
Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...
, Chandikeshwara,
Bhairava Bhairava (, ), or Kāla Bhairava, is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva.Kramrisch, Stella (1994). ''The Presence of Śiva''. Princeton, NJ: P ...
, and an individual shrine for Shaneeswara (planet
Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant, with an average radius of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 tim ...
). The processional deity of Ekambareswarar is stored in a temple vault opposite the temple's holy water well near the entrance. The temple grove is located on the northern side. The holy water well of the temple is associated with one of the legends of Vasuki's unfailing devotion towards Valluvar. A triad of
neem ''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, margosa, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of the two species in the genus '' Azadirachta''. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and to parts of S ...
,
fig The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and i ...
, and
peepal ''Ficus religiosa'' or sacred fig is a species of fig native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina that belongs to Moraceae, the fig or mulberry family. It is also known as the bodhi tree, bo tree, peepul tree, peepal tree, pipala tree or ...
trees that have grown together in an intertwined manner in the temple is considered an incarnation of the
Trimurti The Trimurti ( /t̪ɾimʊɾt̪iː/) is the triple deity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation, preservation, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities. Typically, the designations are that ...
s (the trinity of Hinduism). All the three trees are considered the temples ''sthala vriksha''s (sacred trees) and are combinedly known as Shankaranarayana Vriksha. The temple's ''sthala vriksham'' (sanctum tree) is the ''iluppai'' or butter tree (''Madhuca indica''), grown near the original tree of the same species under which, according to tradition, Valluvar was found as a baby by his foster parents. The locals believe that this is where Valluvar was born. A chamber is built around the original tree. A Valluvar statue in yoga position holding a palm leaf manuscript of the ''Tirukkural'' sits on the pedestal around the original tree. A pedestal was built around the remains of the original tree in 1935 and is now braced up with
copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
sheets. The pedestal additionally holds an idol representing the feet of Valluvar made of black granite, along with the statues of Valluvar and his parents, Sri Adhi and Sri Bhagavan, with Adhi holding the baby Valluvar in her arms. Renovation of the temple began on 27 April 1973. Holy consecration (''Kumbabishekam'') of the temple took place on 23 January 2001. The temple comes under the purview of the nearby Mundakakanniamman temple and is under the ambit of the Hindu religious charity department of the
Government of Tamil Nadu The Government of Tamil Nadu () is the administrative body responsible for the governance of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislature and head of judiciary. Under the Const ...
. There is also a library within the temple campus. A community centre named "Valluvar–Vasuki Community Hall" has been built near the temple. The temple also serves as the venue for meetings of Tamil language enthusiasts. Classes on the
Tirukkural The ''Tirukkuṟaḷ'' (), or shortly the ''Kural'' (), is a classic Tamil language text on commoner's morality consisting of 1,330 short couplets, or Kural (poetic form), kurals, of seven words each. The text is divided into three books wit ...
are also held in the evenings for children. In the introduction to his 1897 book ''The Ethics of Kural'', J. M. Nallaswamy Pillai, describes the statue at the temple thus:


Rituals and festivals

Although the official count of
Nayanmars The Nayanars (or Nayanmars; , and later 'teachers of Shiva') were a group of 63 Tamil Hindu saints living during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were devoted to the Hindu god Shiva. Along with the Alvars, their contemporaries who were devoted ...
, or the canonical
Saivite Shaivism (, , ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the supreme being. It is the second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million Hindus, found widely across South Asia (predominantly in ...
saints, is 63, Valluvar is often considered the 64th Nayanmar by various communities across South India as an important sign of honor, and several temples have the tradition of taking the idol of Valluvar in annual procession. The Valluvar temple at Mylapore, too, follows this tradition. On ''Arubathi Moovar'', the 8th day of the grand annual festival of the
Kapaleeshwarar temple The Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. It is located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple was built around the 7th century CE and is an example of South Indian Architecture. Kamath ...
known as the ''Panguni Brahmotsavam'' taking place on the ''Uthra'' star falling in the Tamil month of ''Panguni'' (March–April), which draws the maximum crowd during the series of events, the bronze idol of Valluvar and Vasuki are also taken in procession along with the idols of the 63 Nayanmars. According to historian
V. Sriram Sriram Venkatakrishnan (born 22 June 1966) is an Indian entrepreneur, columnist, music historian and heritage activist. He was schooled in Madras and Calcutta. His bachelor's in engineering from the Delhi College of Engineering in 1987 was foll ...
, the festival is dated back to the 7th century CE. Thus, festivals in the temple can be categorized into two, namely one for the Shiva shrine and the other for the Valluvar shrine. For the Shiva shrine, the usual Shivite festivals are celebrated except the grand 10-day Brahmotsavam. For the Brahmotsavam, the Valluvar–Vasuki idols are placed on a palanquin and taken in procession as part of the Kapaleeshwarar temple annual events. Like any other Hindu temple, the idols witness full traditional temple rituals on a daily basis. ''Abhishekam'' (bathing the idol) is performed twice a day, along with ''alankaram'' (decoration). In the morning, rice is offered as ''neivedhyam'' (offering). Draped in a white dhoti, the idol of Valluvar sports a dash of ''
vibhuti In Hinduism, ''vibhuti'' (), also called ''bhasmam'' or ''tirunīru'', is sacred ash made of burnt dried wood, burnt cow dung and/or cremated bodies used in Agamic rituals. Devotees of Shiva apply ''vibhuti'' traditionally as three horizonta ...
'' (holy ash), ''
kumkum Kumkuma is a powder used for social and religious markings in India. It is made from turmeric or any other local materials. The turmeric is dried and powdered with a bit of slaked lime, which turns the rich yellow powder into a red color. In ...
'' (holy crimson), and
sandalwood Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods. Sanda ...
paste on the forehead. Poojas for Valluvar are performed in the morning while those for Ekambareshwarar in the morning and evening. The rituals are performed by the priests belonging to the
Veerashaiva The Lingayats are a monotheistic religious denomination of Hinduism. Lingayats are also known as , , , . Lingayats are known for their unique practice of Ishtalinga worship, where adherents carry a personal linga symbolizing a constant, intim ...
-
Lingayat The Lingayats are a monotheistic religious denomination of Hinduism. Lingayats are also known as , , , . Lingayats are known for their unique practice of Ishtalinga worship, where adherents carry a personal linga symbolizing a constant, intim ...
communities. Besides these daily services, special pujas are performed during the ''Arubathi Moovar'' festival (March–April), the second day of the Chitrai month (April),
Thiruvalluvar day Valluvar year, also known as the Thiruvalluvar year, is an officially recognized Tamil calendar system for use in Tamil Nadu. It is calculated on the basis of the supposed year of birth of the Tamil poet-philosopher Valluvar. When comparing it ...
(a day notionally fixed by the
Government of Tamil Nadu The Government of Tamil Nadu () is the administrative body responsible for the governance of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislature and head of judiciary. Under the Const ...
, falling in January), Chitra Pournami (full moon in the
Tamil month The Tamil calendar (தமிழ் நாட்காட்டி) is a sidereal solar calendar used by the Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It is also used in Puducherry, and by the Tamil population in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singap ...
of Chitrai, falling in March–April), and during the monthly ''Anusha''
star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...
(the birth star of Valluvar). Chitra Pournami is when the wedding of Valluvar and Vasuki is believed to have taken place, and hence a symbolic marriage of idols of Valluvar and Vasuki is conducted annually on this day. The annual Vaikasi Anusham (''Anusha'' star falling in the month of ''Vaikasi'', around the month of early June) is celebrated as the birth day of the poet saint at the temple. Maasi Utharam (''Uthram'' star falling in the Tamil month of ''Maasi'', in the months of February–March) is another day of significance in the temple, since it is when Valluvar is believed to have attained ''mukthi'' or died. Thai Sadhayam (in the months of January–February) is celebrated as the wedding day of Ekambareshwarar and Kamakshi. Maasi Magham, Shivarathri, and Aavani Moolam are other important festivals celebrated at the temple. According to legend, Valluvar gave some mud to Vasuki and asked her to cook it into food in order to marry her, which she did obligingly. To commemorate this, Pongal pots are kept in front of the sanctum sanctorum and on the ''Chitra Pournami'' day (falling in April), some mud is sprinkled into these pots before boiling rice into the dish of pongal. Annual processions are also held by large group of people to the temple to mark Thiruvalluvar Day.


Funds

The temple is part of temples that are under the neighbouring Sri Mundagakanniamman Temple, also at Mylapore, and comes under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charity Endowment Department. Being a small temple, the Valluvar temple cannot sustain itself and uses the funds from other temples. The temple has no property and depends entirely on the Mundagakanni Amman Temple. The temple's primary income comes from the wedding hall, a paid parking space and a few shops. All the festivals are funded by devotees, and the events in the shrine are in part sponsored by the Mudaliar community, whose ancestors were
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
scholars. The ancestors of the Mudaliar community are believed to have donated the bronze idols of the shrine. In May 2023, the state government allocated 150 million for a complete renovation and restoration of the temple. The renovation plan included rebuilding all the temple halls (''mantapams'') with granite, refurbishing the ancient well, painting the entire temple complex, and landscaping.


See also

* Tiruchuli Thiruvalluvar Temple *
Valluvar Kottam Valluvar Kottam () is a monument in Chennai, dedicated to the classical Tamil poet philosopher Valluvar. It is the city's biggest Tamil cultural centre. Location Valluvar Kottam is located at the intersection of the Kodambakkam High road and t ...
*
Heritage structures in Chennai Chennai, with historically rich records dating at least from the Pallava dynasty, time of the Pallavas, houses 2,467 heritage buildings within its metropolitan area (Chennai Metropolitan Area, CMA), the highest within any metropolitan area limit ...


Citations


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*


External links


Home page of Agastiar.org containing photos of the temple and the deities
{{Tirukkural Hindu temples in Chennai Tirukkural Memorials to Valluvar Buildings and structures completed in the 16th century 16th-century establishments in India Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu