- Special Features
Foundation YearSthala TreeTheerthamRathamArchitectureOther Speciality
- Sthala PuranI. The Religion - Historical Importance:
SRI MUTHUKUMARASWAMY DEVASTHANAM POPULARLY known as ARULMIGU KANDASWAMY TEMPLE OR KANDHAKOTTAM is one of the celebrated temples in the Madras City. It is just a furlong and half from the Madras Central Railway Station. The very foundation of the temple has a mystic and divine background. In the seventeenth century there were two ardent devotees of Lord Muruga-Thiru Mari Chetty and Thiru Kandapandaram, who use to visit Thiruporur Sri Kandaswamy Temple, a famous centre of piety situated on the Madras mahabalipuram visit that temple, every month on the Kirthigai asterishim day. In 1672 when they reached Thiruporur they were very tired and decided to take rest under a margosa tree near a tank. As they were slumbering, they had a divine dream in which Lord Muruga appeared and informed them that they would find an idol and Himself in an ant-hill on the tank bund, which they could take to Madras City and worship. Accordingly the two devotees discovered the idol and brought it to Madras and Mari Chettyiar built a small temple at his own cost and started worship. Later, ‘When the original structure of this temple fell into disrepair the existing temple was built with stones about 200 years ago. These facts are all recorded in a stone inscription in the temple. Later, the inspiring magnificent temple Gopuram was constructed by one Thiru Kalirathna chettiar. Recently extensive renovations were done in the temple and the Mahakumbhabishekam was performed.
II. Other Features of the Temple:
The area covered by the temple is about eight acres. The moolavar Arulmigu Kandaswamy, which was brought from Thiruporur is two high and Arulmigu Valli and Arulmigu Deivayanai are on either side of this presiding deity. There are also other shrines in the temple. The uthsava moorthi is known as Sri Muthukumaraswamy with consorts Valli and Deivayanai and is enshrined in a separate shrine before a big uthsava mandapam. There is also a separate shrine near the temple tank for Sri Kulakkarai Vinayagar with Siddhi and Buddhi as his consorts shrine, Near this Vinayagar shrine there is also a separate shrine for Sri Kasi viswanathar and Goddess Visalakshi.
The Temple Tank - Saravana Poigai is located within the temple premises and presents and enchanting view and is always full of clear water.
In the entrance mandapam before the north prakaram besides two vinayagar idols on each side, there are the idols of bhairavar and Veerabadhrar. In the East Prakaram there are shrines for Thiruporur Sri Chidambara Swamigal, Vannasarapam Sri Dandapani Swamigal and Sri Ramalin Adigalar. There is also small shrine for Sri Arunagirinathar. On the right hand side of the presiding deity there is a separate shrine for Sri Valli and on the left side a shrine for Shri Deiva-yanai. So also, next to the small shrine for Sri Deivayanai, there is a small shrine for Sri chokkanatha Eswarar and by its side there is the shrine for the goddess Sri Meenakshi and near it is the shrine of Sri Uthsava Arumugaswamy.
III. Saint Ramalingam’s and other Celebrated Saints’ Association with the Temple:
The celebrated saint poet Sri Ramalinga Swamigal was an ardent worshipper at the temple nearly a hundred and fifty years ago, and had composed 31 soul inspiring devotional hymns in praise of the deity known as Deiva Mani Malai. Saint Ramalingam sang this divine composition at the very young age of nine years at this temple. So also Saint Srimad Kumaragurudass Pamban Swamigal, Srimad Vannasarabam Dandapani Swamigal and Srimad Chidambara Swamigal of Thiruporur have also worshipped at the temple and had enhanced its sacredness and divine glory.
IV. The Social and Cultural Services of the Temple:
The temple is running, a Higher Secondary School at Purasawakkam and and Hindu Higher Secondary school at Ponnappy Chetty Street in Park Town. Sri Muthukumaraswamy college at Kodungaiyur, Chennai - 118. The temple is also running a free dispensary in the Thambu Chetty Street by name “ Sri Chamundeeswari Ammal Free Dispensary” and another at the Kandar Alangara mandapam complex. The temple has also a good library in a separate building just opposite the Rajagopuram on the other side of the road, where there is also a good hall where religious discourses and other devotional music concerns are frequently held. This temple is also running a Veena Class. Bharathanatyam also is taught to children. The temple had also plans to start a Polytechnic in the near future.
V. Other Notable Features of the Temple:
The temple has ornaments worth several lakhs. The gold and diamoond crowns and the diamond ear ornaments deserve special mention. The temple owns several houses and shops. There is also a silver Chariot and a golden chariot. Gold vahanams of this temple are very beautiful and splendid. Numerous festivals are held in the temple throughtout the year. Of these, Brahmothsavam in the month of Thai (January) and the Vasantha Uthsavam in Vaikasi (May-June) are the major ones. The Maha Skanda Shasti festival is celebrated on a grand scale for six days and attracts thousands of devotees every day the temple is managed by a Board of Trustees elected from among the Beri Chettiar community. There are several incidents associated with the solid benefits derived by devotees worshipping at the temple.
In the above verse Srimad Vannasarapam Dandapani Swamigal goes into ecstasy when he saw the Lord Muruga of this temple seated on the temple chariot and declares that all the evils of His devotees will be extinguished by His Grace.
Sri Ramalinga Swamigal at this temple he assures how all benefits - material and spiritual will automatically get endowed on the devotee, who merely just cares to meditate on the glorious feet the Lord Muruga of this temple, which is a Temple of Ever-growing Eternal Grace and Glory.
- ArchitectureRajagopuram
Tower Name - Rajagopuram
Constructor Name - Kaali Rathina Chettiar Vagaiyara
No.of Kalasam - 7
Century - 17th Century
Tower Description - Temple five steps Rajagopuram faced on northside to establish the kandhapuranam history in sudhai sculptures.
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