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Shrine for Siva
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With a unique history, the deities at the Ardhaneeswarar temple in Nanganallur are believed to fulfil the wishes of devotees.
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NANGANALLUR SEEMS to be turning into a miniature Kancheepuram with many temples being dedicated to various gods of the Hindu pantheon. This southern suburb of Chennai is home to many magnificent temples such as the Anjaneyar Temple with its giant-sized idol. Many of the temples in this area are very old and have interesting legends associated with them.
In the 1960s, the Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam discovered one of them, when he was performing a morning puja in an abandoned temple tank in the area. He spotted an ancient lingam in the tank and named it "Ardhanareeswarar". He directed that the lingam be placed on the banks of the temple tank and pujas be performed. The devotees fulfilled his wish immediately and retrieved the lingam and installed it in a makeshift thatched shed on the banks of the tank on the Fourth Main Road in Nanganallur.
Soon a small shrine was constructed according to the stipulations of the Agama and the parivara devatas were put up around the sanctum sanctorum. A life-size idol of Sri Ashtabhuja Shanthi Durga, similar to the one in the ancient Pattiswaram temple in Thanjavur district, was installed in a separate shrine. Regular pujas were conducted after consecrating the idols. It is believed that the deities fulfil people's wishes and hence the temple is crowded most of the time.
A proposal has been made to construct a rajagopuram, a compound wall and a large meditation hall. The hall will also be used to conduct religious discourses by eminent scholars.
In the first week of March, Kokilavani, Balameera and V. Alamelu, disciples of Needamangalam V. Krishnamurthy Bhagavathar gave a series of musical discourses on the Bhagavatham. Special abishekams and navagraha homam are conducted in the temple. Sahasranama archanai is also performed daily.
The Thirukkalyana Utsavam held on the Panguni Uthiram day on March 18 and the ekadasa rudra japam and homam performed on March 30 were well attended by devotees.
The construction of the rajagopuram was started on April 23 last year but work has slowed down due to lack of funds.
The entire project is expected to cost at least Rs. 50 lakhs. Contributions may be sent to the Rajagopuram Thiruppani Committee, Sri Ardhanareeswarar Temple, 31, Fourth Main Road, Nanganallur.
T. A. SRINIVASAN
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