10 Must Visit Shaivite & Vaishnavite Temples in Mylapore

Mylapore symbolises predominance of emotions and feelings but foremost among them are it's revered places of worship in the form of Temples. Most chattels connected to Mylapore have evolved over a period of time but it's the temples that have stood the test of time and right royally gives Mylapore the epithet as the evergreen temple town of Madras.

Having lived around this neck of the woods for over 3 decades, I was ruminating about certain temples that have a vast history running into centuries or in some cases even beyond 1000s of years that truly distinguishes Mylapore on the map in account of it's rustic remnants undergoing changes and still being extant since times immemorial

There have been a number of temples cropping up in recent times but still "Old is Always Gold" and hence the thought of recommending 10 traditional hardcore temples that everyone should visit when they come across this side of the woods. It does contain the tried and tested ones but the list also contains some historic landmarks unknown to even people who have lived around this side largely due to lack of awareness and the fact that some of these are virtually in oblivion.

Without further ado, sharing the roster of temples which every temple loving aficionado should ensure to experience. Categorising this list of 10 by bifurcating it further as 7 Shaivite & 3 Vaishnavite temples.

Shaivite Temples:
1) Kabaleeshwarar Temple
2) Velleeswarar Temple
3) Theerthapaleeswarar Temple
4) Karaneeshwarar Temple
5) Malleeswarar Temple
6) Virupaksheeshwarar Temple
7) Vaaleeswarar Temple

Vaishnavite Temples:
8) Srinivasa Perumal Temple
9) Adi Kesava Perumal Temple
10) Madhava Perumal Temple

The 7 Shiva temples have off late got pretty popular in recent times having earned the tag as the Saptha Sthana Shiva Temples of Mylapore. They are not entirely in Mylapore though and few of them sprawl & spread across Triplicane too but they all came under the ambit of erstwhile Mylapore from eons ago. There is even an order of visiting these 7 temples starting with Karaneeshwarar Temple, then Theerthapaleeswarar followed by Velleeswarar with next up being Virupaksheeshwarar, after that Vaaleeswarar with Malleeswarar closely on the heels and then ending finally with Kabaleeshwarar. Truth be told however, cutting to present day, the only temple of this 7 which is extremely well known and frequently thronged happens to be Kabaleeshwarar Temple. It truly represents the signature of Mylapore and also Chennai as a towering iconic cultural landmark. One's journey to Chennai and Mylapore especially would feel like a void when not visiting Kabaleeshwarar. Gulping across those jocular sweet & sour delicacies spawning on all directions across it's precincts is definitely an added plus. Have also observed that when foreigners come on work visits to Chennai, one of the first spots listed out to be shown to them happens to be Kabaleeshwarar Temple with the other being taking them around the side of Mahabalipuram and showing it's rich cultural heritage.

Sharing a brief capsule on these 10 revered temples along with information on its presiding deities and certain rare and unique features

Kabaleeshwarar Temple:
Kabaleeshwarar Kovil can be considered the defacto and default choice when it comes to temples in Mylapore or even probably the whole of the city of Chennai. Easily the standout and Ozymandias of all temples. Seeped in magnificence and breathtaking splendour, it is a sight to behold with its tall 120 feet Gopuram (gateway tower) overseeing the historic Mylapore tank. You would see the wordings inscribed "Kylai is Mylai and Mylai is Kylai" meaning a visit to Kabaleeshwarar is equivalent to visiting Kailash. It possesses separate Sannidhis for a number of deities. It is mentioned that Lord Rama visited this temple and prayed at the Singara Velan shrine before taking the direction towards Lanka. A unique feature is that it has a separate worship space for saint poet Sri Arunagiri Nathar who is believed to have composed devotional songs in veneration of Lord Murugan at this very place. There is also a shrine for Angam Poompavai, a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva who is famous for being resurrected from Ashes by Saint Thirugnana Sambandar. Sage Kashyapa is said to have worshipped at this temple. The energy and vibration exuded from this temple is simply surreal and has to be experienced to be believed. Parvathy Devi is said to have worshipped Shiva in the form of a peacock here. Kabaleeshwarar means "Lord of the Head" with Kabala translating to Head. There is an interesting legend of Lord Shiva plucking off one of the heads of Lord Brahma on account of the latter failing to show the desired respect. Subsequently Lord Brahma is believed to have come here and installed the Shiva Linga to please Shiva and gain back the respect. Inside the Kabali sanctorum, one can view idols of all the 63 Nayanmars with their birth information. It is considered one among 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams which have been spoken of in the holy Tevaram hymns rendered by Tamil Shaivite saints. It is one of the most frequented and also one of the largest Shiva Temples. It is the 7th and last to be visited when following the order necessitated while visiting the Saptha Sthana Shiva Temples of Mylapore.
Shiva Name - Kabaleeshwarar
Parvathi Name - Karpagambal
Saptharishi Worship - Kashyap

Velleeshwarar Temple:
Just by the side of Kabaleeshwarar Kovil in close proximity lies the iconic Velleeshwarar Temple. This temple is especially connected to solving eye related issues and there is a decorated history associated with Lord Shukracharya gaining back his eye sight. Legend goes that Lord Vishnu in the form of Vamana requesting King Mahabali for three feet of Land. Lord Shukra suspecting foul play tried to stop this from happening and in the process got pricked on one of his eyes losing his eyesight. Lord Shukra subsequently meditated with intense devotion and got restored his eyesight. Thus the name of the Shiva in this temple is known as Sri Velleeshwarar, the Lord of Shukracharya. "Velli" also translates as Friday which is the day ruled by Navagraha Shukra. There is also a separate enclosure for Lord Sarabeshwarar, the powerful and fierce incarnation of Lord Shiva depicted with a Lion's face coupled with bird wings having 8 legs who is said to have manifested to tame Lord Narasimha's anger. Nearby the sanctum of Velleeshwara Shiva Linga is the shrine for Shiva's consort Kamakshi Ambal. Sage Angirasa is said to have worshipped at this temple. This temple is the 3rd to be visited in order of the 7 famous Shiva temples.
Shiva Name - Velleeshwarar
Parvathi Name - Kamakshi
Saptharishi Worship - Angirasa

Theerthapaleeshwarar Temple:
Theerthapaleeswarar Kovil happens to be the 2nd of the 7 age old historic Saptha Sthana Shiva temples of Mylapore. In todays times it gets classified as located in the vicinity of Triplicane. The Shiva Linga here is said to be consecrated by Sage Agasthya. Legend has it that Sage Agasthya witnessed the wedding of Shiva & Parvathi from Podhigai Malai. On the way home, the Sage fell sick and sat near a Vanni tree to recover from his ailment. Shiva came in his dream and asked to consecrate a Shivaling with sea water at this place and perform Abhishek. Sage performed the same and being happy with his devotion, Lord Shiva cured him from his ailment. The main deities of this temple are Sri Theertha Paleeswarar and Sri Tripurasundari Ambal. It is known to cure from any kind of ailment. The Ganapathi in this temple is known as Pass Granting Ganapathi and hence students are known to worship him for securing good results and passing examinations. Apart from the connection with Sage Agasthya, revered Sage Atri is also said to have worshipped at this temple.
Shiva Name - Theerthapaleeshwarar
Parvathi Name - Tirupurasundari
Saptharishi Worship - Atri

Karaneeshwarar Temple:
The age old ancient Karaneeshwarar Temple is believed to be well over 2000 years old and remnants point out to it being in existence since the 12th century. Karaneeshwara translates to "The Lord who is the cause". Since Shiva is said to be the reason for everything in the universe, he is known to be called so. It's also considered to be the 1st of the 7 predominant Shaivite temples to be visited in Mylai. Sage Vasishta is said to have worshipped at this temple. The Shiva name is Sri Karaneeswara and Ambal name is Porkodi or Swarnalalithambikai. One unique feature about the Shiva Linga here is that it is unlike the usual shape and is in a square form.
Shiva Name - Karaneeshwarar
Parvathi Name - Porkodi or Swarnalalithambikai
Saptharishi Worship - Vasishta

Maleeshwarar Temple:
This happens to be the 6th of the 7 age old Saptha Sthana Shiva Temples of Mylapore. This has a flowery story associated to it as "Malli" means flower and more specifically Jasmine. The Lord got it's name as Malleeswarar as the space was surrounded by Jasmine flowers. The main presiding deities of this temple are Sri Malleeswarar and Sri Maragadhambal. Like the way a flower blossoms, this temple is known to grant Shiva's fragrance towards the utmost devoted and warding off evil thoughts. Offering jasmine garlands is said to help remove marriage hurdles. Legend goes as Prarthan, the king of Ayodhya in deep tapas conducting a yagna for Shiva. Indira tried to disturb the proceedings but was unable to. Shiva impressed by the intensity of the Tapas appeared before him and that bore the formation of this temple. Sage Bhrigu is said to have personally worshipped here. It hosts a number of deities and there is also a Sannidhi here for Anjaneya and Aiyappa. There are also the 4 revered Tamil Saivite Saints known as Nalvar placed together and also a Navagraha Sthala with a separate Saturn shrine.
Shiva Name - Maleeshwarar
Parvathi Name - Maragadhambal
Saptharishi Worship - Bhrigu

Virupaksheeshwarar Temple
This is the 4th out of the 7 decorated Saptha Sthana Shiva temples in Mylapore. It is also one of the oldest temples in living memory having seen its construction as early as the 7th century. The Shiva Linga here is of a giant size and it is believed that Rishi Kutsa worshipped at this temple. Sundaramurthy Nayanar is said to have seen the Rudra Thandavam dance of Lord Nataraja here. Virupaksheeshwarar means one with three eyes. Lord Shiva is said to possess a divine third eye and is said to fulfil devotees wishes just through his vision. There is a tank surrounding the temple and those with ailments are said to be cured by the holy water from this tank called Sivagangai. The Lord's Name is Virupaksheeshwarar and Goddess name is Visalakshi. You have Bhairava and Surya Bhagwan side by side inside the main temple enclosure. Surya's son Shani also has a separate enclosure.
Shiva Name - Virupaksheeshwarar
Parvathi Name - Visalakshi
Saptharishi Worship - Kutsa

Vaaleeshwarar Temple
This is the 5th of the 7 Saptha Sthana Shiva Temples in Mylapore. Vaali, the king of monkeys and brother of Sugriva is said to have worshipped Shiva at this temple to gain strength and hence the name came about as Vaaleeswarar (Vaali praying to Ishwar). It's expanded as Varam Tharum Valeeswarar meaning "Blessings Fulfilling Ishwar". This temple is believed to have been visited by Sage Gowthama. The Shiva name is Vaaleeswarar and Ambal's name is Periyanayagi. This temple though supposedly over 1000s of years old is well renovated and possesses shrines for a number of deities. A separate Sannidhi is provided for Sage Agasthya. Another rare insight was the presence of separate chambers for Moon (Chandra) at the left and Sun (Surya) at the right guarding the temple enclosure. Apart from Sun & Moon, there is a solo Sannidhi for Navagraha Saturn (Shani) as well.
Shiva Name - Vaaleeshwarar
Parvathi Name - Periyanayaki
Saptharishi Worship - Gautama

Srinivasa Perumal Temple
This was originally and even now referred to as the Vedantha Desikar Temple. Initially it was believed to have only housed the idols of Acharya and Lakshmi Hayagriva. The main deities namely Srinivasa Perumal and Alarmel Mangai Thayar got inducted only about a century back. It has become very popular since then with year round Utsavams being conducted. There is a very beautiful Sannidhi for Poetess Andal and you would also see shrines of various other deities. Wall paintings depict the life history of Acharya Vedantha Desikar.
Vishnu Name - Srinivasa Perumal
Lakshmi Name - Alarmel Mangai Thayar

Adi Kesava Perumal Temple
This would rank as probably the most well known and oldest Vaishnava temple in this vicinity. Both Srinivasa Perumal Temple and Adi Kesava Perumal Temple are located besides each other. The main Adi Kesava Temple at Thiruvattaru near Kanyakumari happens to be one of the Divya Desams, This temple of Adi Kesava however has a vast & rich history associated with it and considered as one among 108 Abhimana Kshetras. This temple is considered to be the birth place of Peya Alwar, one of the 12 renowned Alwar Saints paying glory and homage to the Vaishnava tradition. He is also believed to have taken the incarnation of Lord Vishnu's divine sword Nandaka. You would see wall paintings depicting his birth story in the temple precincts. The temple also depicts carvings of 12 different Vaishnava forms of the Lord namely Vishnu,  Madhusudhana, Trivikrama, Vamana, Sridhara, Rishikesa, Padmanabha, Damodara, Kesava, Narayana, Madhava and Govinda. The main deities as mentioned happens to be Adi Kesava Perumal and his consort Mayuravalli Thayar. There are shrines for a number of other deities including Andal, Anjaneyar, Garuda, Chakra Thalwar, Narasimha etc. There is also a shrine for one other Alwar viz Thondai Alwar. One unique and rare feature worth noting is that Lord Rama inside is not only with Seetha, Lakshmana & Anjaneya but also alongside his 2 other brothers Bharatha and Shatrugana. The goddess Mayuravalli Thayar is worshipped with Bilva leaves and it is believed that apart from the Goddess, both Shiva & Parvathi also worshipping Adi Kesava Perumal to get relieved of curses. The hallowed tank beside the temple known as 'Chitra Kulam' belongs to the Adi Kesava management and one would be privileged to witness the Theppotsavam festival where the Lord and his highness decorated in delectable demeanour are driven on a boat like structure (float) called Teppam across the water bank which happens to be a truly golden spectacle to witness this celestial ride.
Vishnu Name - Adi Kesava Perumal
Lakshmi Name - Mayura Valli Thayar

Madhava Perumal Temple
This is another really beautiful Vaishnava temple spanning many centuries. This temple happens to be located very close to the house where Peya Alwar lived notably in the South East street from this sacred abode and there also happens to be a beautiful deity of this revered Alwar in the temple premises. The presiding deity Madhava Perumal is married to Amrita Valli Thayar who happens to be the daughter of Sage Bhrigu. As Bhrigu is associated with Shukra (Venus) denoting the significations of love & marriage, the Lord is also honoured with the designation of Kalyana Perumal (Wedding Deity). Hence it is a temple which is favourable and auspicious especially when praying for marriage to culminate. There are a number of shrines hosting a number of Gods & Goddesses and you will find a really beautiful space dedicated to Bhoo Varaha Perumal who is specifically prayed to during examination times. Andal makes her solitary presence in this temple akin to what you would see in Srinivasa Perumal and Adi Kesava Perumal temple. The Anjaneya here is in a rare child like avatar very different from usual. This temple also possesses a small river bank called 'Santhana Pushkarini' and during the month of Maasi (approx mid February to mid March), the presiding deity of Madhava Perumal is driven here on a float.
Vishnu Name - Madhava Perumal
Lakshmi Name - Amrita Valli Thayar

Morning Hues - Margazhi Thingal!

The Thiruppavai is a set of 30 verses in veneration of Lord Vishnu during the sacred month of Margazhi which starts from around the mid of December with the Sun's ingress into the zodiac of Sagittarius or Dhanur. 

These lyrical hymns are the work of Poetess Andal, who is considered to be the only female amongst the hallowed 12 Alwars whose devotion for Vishnu knew no bounds. Thorough her inscrutable pasurams in reverence of the Lord, she expresses selfless deep love & devotion of the highest order. In the month of Margazhi, each day one of these verses are rendered to symbolize divinity, bring about a close bonding with the celestial cosmic beings and get a spiritual awakening.

The opening verse of Thiruppavai to signal the usherance of Margazhi month goes as "Mārgazhi Thingal Madi Niṛainda Naṇṇāḷāl" explaining about the auspicious full moon day in the month of Margazhi. This pasuram is chanted in honour of Lord Krishna by extolling young maidens to wake up early, get ready and put forth a vow (Nonbu) by providing service (Kainkaryam) and chanting praises in obeisance of the Lord to attain a spiritual connection.

Took a small stab at playing this masterful piece initiating the start of Margazhi month. It is based on the 36th Melakarta Ragam ChalaNaatai and the judicious use of both the Gandarams (Ga) and Naishadams (Ni) gives it a bejewelled crossover paving way towards a striking consonance for expressing different facets of devotion.

Andal also known as Godhai and Nachiyar is known for unquenching selfless devotion. May the whole universe sing and glorify this Poet's works all through the eternity of time.

The ways of the Divine - Sri Rangam Calling!🛕

There is something intrinsically sacrosanct about last minute plans especially when invoking the divine. Our decision to go to Sri Rangam was impromptu and took place at the eleventh hour. Now looking at it in hindsight, it was certainly one of the best decisions ever made as the Lord arranged everything for us at his own accord which we savoured to our heart's content. 

Even though a thought had been looming to visit Sri Rangam for almost a week, the action to eventually go was implanted only around the early hours of the evening when we boarded the bus and decided to walk the tightrope. The divine was calling and we just followed its ways and everything crystallised as per his beck & call. We reached Sri Rangam in the wee hours of the morning on 10th Aug 2025 without having an accommodation and he just magically led us to stay at a comfortable place within striking distance of the iconic Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple. No amount of planning would have ever resulted in getting us a place in the proximity of a sanctorum circulating the pure air of divinity around for us to breathe and get purified.

Appended below is the list of temples that were visited in and around Sri Rangam (Trichy) on 10th & 11th August 2025

Divya Desams:
1) Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Sri Rangam
2) Sri Purushottaman Perumal Temple (Uthamar Kovil), Thirukkarambanoor
3) Sri Appakudathan Perumal Temple, Thirupper Nagar
4) Sri Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Temple, Thiru Anbil
5) Sri Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai

Pancha Bhoota Element: (Water)

6) Jambukeshwarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval

Amman:
7) Arulmigu Mariamman Temple, Samayapuram

Krishna:
8) Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Footprints, Sri Rangam
9) Sri Jagannath Mutt, Sri Rangam

Narasimha:
10) Kaattu Azhagiya Singar Temple, Sri Rangam

Divya Desam: 
Divya Desams are special 108 temples of Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi which have been mentioned in the works of the 12 Alwars (Poet Saints of Vishnu) who are known for their meticulous devotion having compiled the Divya Prabandham consisting of 4000 verses. Out of 108, only 106 are in the physical realm belonging in Planet Earth with 105 of these located in India and the one located outside India happens to be at Saligramam in Nepal. The two Divya Desams not located on Earth happen to be Kshira Sagara - the divine ocean in Heaven and Vaikunta - the heavenly abode of Vishnu & Lakshmi. Out of the total 108 Divya Desams, 6 of them happen to be around theTrichy border.

We managed to cover 5 of these 6 having our base location just about a stone's throw away from the magnificent Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple. Listed below are brief insights on the 5 Divya Desams that were covered during our yatra.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Sri Rangam
This is a dazzling architectural marvel alluring in form and glittering in structure. It is considered as one of the foremost Vaishnava temple. It is the numero-uno in the list of the 108 Divya Desam temples and thronged by people all over the globe with it being listed as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world. The temple tower known as Gopuram in Srirangam is termed as the "Raja Gopuram" and is said to be the largest Gopuram in the whole of Asia. Sri Rangam hosts tonnes of deities across Hindu mythology with the main deity being Lord Ranganatha, a reclining form of Vishnu. He is seen along with his primary consort Ranganayaki and two secondary consorts besides to the left & right of her viz Bhu Devi and Nila Devi. The most interesting fact about Sri Rangam temple is that it would not even have seen the light of the day. As legend goes, it is believed that this deity rose from the Ocean (Paarkadal) as a result of Brahma’s penance after which Ikshvaku, a descendant king of the Sun God (Surya), brought this idol to his capital in Ayodhya. This was then handed over to Lord Rama who is said to have received the idol by way of inheritance and worshipped it with great reverence. He had then requested Vibheeshana, the brother of Ravana, to install this deity in Sri Lanka with instructions to not rest the idol elsewhere. Vibheeshana, being a devout Brahmin, performed daily rituals at dusk and dawn every day. It so happened that he could not return to Lanka before sunset and set the deity down before commencing his evening ritual. It is then inferred that the idol bonded to the soil of the earth and could not be displaced by anybody and from then on it has stayed put right here in our very own Sri Rangam. The best way to worship the idols at Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple is by taking all the time in the world by traversing through the acres of land consisting of towers aplenty with multitude of shrines. One should definitely ensure not to miss the Ramanuja Shrine (Udayavar Sannidhi) where the mortal remains of the holy saint is preserved to this day using natural substances such as sandalwood and saffron. Ramanujacharya was said to be born in 1017 and died at the ripe age of 120 in 1137. Since then for the last 888 years as of 2025, his soul has remained still intact in a seated position. Application of camphor & vermilion on his body twice a year gives his holy presence an ochre (orangish yellow brown) tint. It is gravity defying and has to be seen to be believed.
Divya Desam # - 1
Vishnu Name - Ranganatha Perumal
Lakshmi Name - Ranganayaki Thayar

Sri Purushottaman Perumal Temple (Uthamar Kovil), Thirukkarambanoor

This is a rare Vaishnava temple dedicated to the Trimurtis of Hinduism viz Lord Vishnu - the preserver of the universe, Lord Shiva - the destroyer of the universe and Lord Brahma - the creator of the universe. This is 3rd on the list of the Divya Desams. The God Vishnu here also is in reclining form and termed as Sri Purushottaman Perumal and his consort goes by the name of Poornavali Thayar. It is also known as Bhikshandar Kovil as Lord Shiva was relieved of his doshas. This temple also talks about husband & wife living in unity and understanding termed as "Uthamba" meaning best, so it also came to be known as Uthamar Kovil. Lord Vishnu is said to have emerged as a Kadamba tree to test the devotion of Lord Bramma and hence this place also goes by the name of Kadhambanur or Karambanur.

Divya Desam # - 3

Vishnu Name - Purushottaman Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Poornavali Thayar

Sri Appakudathan Perumal Temple, Thirupper Nagar

The name of the Vishnu God here is Sri Appakkudathaan Perumal again seen in a sleeping posture and he is seen with his consort Sri Kamalavalli Thayar. This is 6th on the list of the Divya Desams. The temple is one of the five Pancharanga Kshetrams, a group of five Hindu temples on the banks of the River Kaveri. Appam is a popular sweet dish prepared here in the temple daily as Neivedya and legend has it that Perumal got the name as Appakudathan since he received a pot of Appam from King Upamanyu.

Divya Desam # - 6

Vishnu Name - Appakudathan Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Kamalavalli Thayar

Sri Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Temple, Thiru Anbil

This is another Vishnu seen in a reclining avatar and here he goes by the name of Sundara Raja Perumal and the Goddess is referred to as Sri Sundaravalli Thayar. This temple comes as the 5th of the Divya Desams. Vadiva Azhagiya or Sundara means "Beautiful" and it is believed that Lord Vishnu came as a handsome young man in front of Lord Brahma and mentioned that his physical appearance is just temporary and one has to be good at heart.

Divya Desam # - 5

Vishnu Name - Sundararaja Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Sundaravalli Thayar

Sri Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai

The God Vishnu goes by the name of Pundarikakshan and the Goddess name is Pankajavalli Thayar. This is 4th on the list of Divya Desams. 'Pundari' denotes beautiful eyes and the Lord is said to be possessing enchanting eyes. Here, you would see Lord Vishnu in a standing posture with the Sun and Moon spanning the Lord on left & right and seated along on both sides are Markandeya Rishi and Bhooma Devi doing penance for the world. In this temple you would also witness Garuda in standing posture and Adishesha in a Manly avatar. This temple is said to be built by Sibi Chakravarthy.

Divya Desam # - 4

Vishnu Name - Pundarikaksha Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Pankajavalli Thayar

Pancha Bhoota Sthala

Pancha Bhoota Sthalam refers to 5 temples designated to Lord Shiva pertaining to the 5 primordial elements of nature viz Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. From the name it can be figured out that Pancha means "5", Bhoota refers to "element" and Sthala denotes "place". All these temples are located in South India with 4 of them being in Tamil Nadu (Earth, Water, Fire & Ether) and the remaining one representing Air element located in Andhra Pradesh. The 5 Pancha Sthalas are as listed below:

Earth - Ekambareshwar Temple - Kanchipuram - Tamil Nadu

Water - Jambukeshwarar Temple - Trichy - Tamil Nadu

Fire - Annamalaiyar Temple - Tiruvannamalai - Tamil Nadu

Air - Sri Kalahasti Temple - Kalahasti - Andhra Pradesh

Ether - Thillai Natarajar Temple - Chidambaram - Tamil Nadu

Jambukeshwarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval

During our visit to Trichy, we got an opportunity to visit the magnificent Jambukeshwarar Temple dedicated to the Water element. 'Water' is often referred to as the universal solvent and has a major bearing to do with one's personal emotions, feelings, intuitions and flow of creativity. Hence it was a blessing to worship at this temple. Also this temple is said to be associated with Pooradam or Poorva Ashada Nakshatra because its Devata is said to be Apah - The God of Water. The main deities here are Shiva who goes by the name "Jambukeshwara" and his consort Parvathi who takes the name of "Akilandeshwari". Legend has it that the sanctum of Jambukeswara has an underground water stream which in spite of pumping water out is always filled with water. The folklore goes like Parvathi mocking Shiva for his deep penance for which Shiva condemns her act and sends her to Earth in order to do penance. Goddess Akilandeshwari realising her folly is believed to have performed penance to atone her mistake. It is said that she found the Jambu forest (Thiruvanaikoil) to conduct her penance and made a lingam out of the water from river Kaveri under the Venn Naaval tree and commenced her worship. The lingam is said to be known as Appu Lingam. Also worth noting is that this temple exclusively hosts the Navagraha Saturn (Shani) with consort 'Jyeshta Devi'. There is also a rare deity of Moon God (Chandra) flanked by consorts Krithika and Rohini.  

Nature Element  - Water

Shiva Name - Jambukeshwara

Parvathi Name - Akilandeshwari

Arulmigu Mariamman Temple, Samayapuram

Apart from all the homage towards Lord Vishnu & the Divya Desams and also visiting the Shiva water element temple, we were also fortunate to receive honourable Mariamma's blessings showered upon us at Samayapuram. It was a massive temple that was packed to the rafters. We bought the necessary essentials to gift her such as flowers, a pair of eyes stickers (known to cure eye related issues), a Thali charadu (yellow thread) and waded through the long queue to get a magical glimpse of her. The aura around the sanctum felt very energetic with a powerful vibe prevalent throughout. The deity Mariamman is said to be a supreme form of Kali/Durga/Adi Shakthi and made of sand, clay and medicinal herbs unlike many of the traditional stone idols.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Footprints, Sri Rangam

The blessings continued to pour thanks largely to my blessed friend who being a supreme Krishna Bhakt, whose bonding towards the Lord has no bounds and is unconditionally pure insisted on visiting the abode of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna during the late 15th and early 16th century. That was like the harbinger for many superlative things to follow. The Pujari there who had been maintaining this small shrine regaled us with stories glorifying on the Lord and he was also instrumental in accompanying and giving us interesting anecdotes during our visit to few of the Divya Desams. Got to learn more about the legend of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from both my friend and the Pujari along with also receiving an English translated copy of the Bhagawad Gita which felt very gratifying. It is believed that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is strongly considered to be Krishna himself laid his footprints on the holy town of Sri Rangam spending 4 months over there in the year 1510 where he observed Chaturmasya Vrata on the banks of the River Kaveri.

Sri Jagannath Mutt, Sri Rangam

Through our conversation with the Pujari at the Chaitanya Mahaprabhu shrine, one thing led to another and we also received the information of a Jagannath Mutt being located nearby at North Chitrai street by the side of Sri Rangam temple paying obeisance to Lord Jagannath. This place also gained extra prominence and propitiousness when we heard that this was the very same place where Mahaprabhu actually spent his time in Srirangam over 500 years back in 1510. There was no way we could miss this and hence decided to pay our reverence at this holy habitat too.

Kaattu Azhagiya Singar Temple, Sri Rangam
As the name denotes, this translates to a "Beautiful Lion from the Forest". Lord Narasimha is well known for being depicted as a Lion and hence the moniker. This is located by the side of the Sri Rangam railway station. History states that this particular precinct was a forest area inhabited by wild animals with people being heavily frightened and also not resorting to killing since its a sin. To escape from this dilemma, this particular temple was build invoking the Lion God Narasimha. Pleased with the devotion, it is believed Narasimha stayed here along with Lakshmi Thayar and protected the devotees. This temple apparently dates back much earlier than even before the inscription of Sri Rangam temple. The Black deity of Narasimha seated along with his consort Lakshmi is indeed a breathtaking beauty.

On the whole it was a momentous, memorable and mystical Mandir yatra. We covered plethora of temples over our 2 day stay and the best part of the whole visit was that nothing at all appeared rushed. It was not just us but even the holy idols which we carried in the form of 'Adishesha' and 'Anantha' also obtained boundless blessings. We got all the time to wing our way through, soak in, immerse and feel the divine in all it's splendour without ever thinking about the time at hand. It felt like as if the divine personally accompanied us everywhere making all the necessary arrangements along the way. We just went with the flow with almost every single decision taken just at that opportune moment and it paved the way for us to get enshrined with majestic blessings all the way through his divine enclosures.

P.S: Please note that majority of the pictures and selective capsules of information pertaining to the history, lineage & culture of the temples have been sourced from the net. Credits to the original sharers and outlets.