Temples of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu was ruled by different ruling dynasties, thus, the famous
temple art touched its zenith in Tamil Nadu. The monuments and temples
in Tamil Nadu are of great artistic value and speak volumes about the
grandeur of the bygone era.
Rameshwaram, Thanjavur, Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, Chidambaram,
Meenakshi Temple, and Ekambareswarar Temple are some of the famous
temples of Tamil Nadu. These temples were not only the worshiped
shrines but more then that, they were used as hospitals and as social
gathering venue. Temple was a place where art, in all its forms i.e.
music, dance, drama and handicrafts gained boost and flourished.
¤ The Famous Meenakshi Temple
The Meenakshi Temple complex is a city temple situated in Madurai. It
is one of the largest and one of the most ancient temples here. At the
same time it is the most revered in India. The temple complex has
soaring and exquisitely carved towers in Madurai. The south gateway
contains the twin temples of Shiva and Meenakshi and is about nine
storeys high. Meenakshi temple is one of the most popular temples in
Tamil Nadu and is world famous for its marvelous architecture.
¤ The Natarajh of Chidambaram
This temple is dedicated to lord Natarajah and is one of the most
venerated. Chidambaram is situated about 250 km south of Chennai
(Madras) and is easily accessible. In Tamil the word temple is known
as 'Koil' and Chidambaram is referred to, in Hindu scriptures by other
names such as Thillai, Puliyur, Chittambalam, Vyagrapuram and
Pundareekapuram. These temples are abode of sanctity and sacredness
due to its dignity and the miracle stories mentioned in Hindu
scriptures.
¤ The Ancient Kapaleeswarar Temple
The Kapaleeswarar temple, situated in Mylapore a suburb of Chennai,
is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is worshiped here as Kapaleeswarar and
the Goddess as Katpahavalli. This temple is about 1000 years old. Some
scholars believe that the age of the present building , on the basis
of the architecture and the images in this temple traces back to a
period of about 300 years ago. Regardless, Kapaleeswarar Temple has
become very famous and attracts a large number of devotees mainly
during festival days.
¤ The Sri Parthasarathy Temple
Established in the Triplicane area of Chennai, Sri Parthasarathy
Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu who is worshiped as Lord
Venkatakrishnar here. In this temple he can be seen with his consort
Rukmani on his right and his brother Sri Balaraman on his left. Apart
from these deities, Sri Parthasarathy is installed as a processional
deity with his consorts Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi on either side.
¤ The Divine Palaniandavar Temple
The Palaniandavar temple is dedicated to Lord Subramanyam and he is
worshiped as Pazhani andavar. The temple is situated at Vadapalani, in
the northern part of Chennai. A picture of Lord Subrahmanya was
brought here from Palani that became a very potent divinity, thus
deriving the name Vadapalani.
¤ The Holy Island of Rameswaram
Rameswaram is an island about 160 km Southeast of Madurai, well
connected to the mainland both by a railway and a road bridge. A major
pilgrim center of the Hindus, Rameshwaram is the place where Lord Rama
had stationed the Lingam, which therefore gains significance and is
venerated by all the Hindus of India. The other pilgrimage site here
is Dhanuskodi, also called 'Sethu'. Apart from this, there are several
other small temples of interest dotted around this island.
¤ Swamimalai, The Adobe of Subramanyam
Swamimalai is one of the 6 well known abodes of Lord Subramanya. The
temple stands on an artificial hill and is approached by a flight of
steps. Swaminathan is the deity worshiped her. The temple here has
three 'gopuram' with three 'praharam'. The 'gopuram' on the south side
of the temple is decorated with statues and contains five storeys
while the other two entrances have no towers above them.
¤ The Kanyakumari Temple
Situated near the beautiful sea shore, Kumari Amman Temple and the
nearby Ghat attracts tourist from all over the world. According to a
legend, Devi did penance here to secure Lord Siva's hand in marriage.
When she was unsuccessful, she vowed to remain a virgin (Kanya). The
Diamond nose-ring of this deity is famous for its glittering charm
which is supposed to be seen even from the sea.
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