Kandakottam temple, Chennai

Introduction to the Kandakottam Temple

Sri Kandaswamy Temple, or Kandakottam Temple, is a famous Murugan shrine on Nyniappa Street, Rattan Bazaar, Park Town, Chennai. This area encompasses many temples, some of which are ancient. Vallalar sang hymns in Thiru Arutpa, praising Murugan of Kandakottam Temple.

Legend of the Kandakottam Temple

According to the legend, two friends, Velur Mari Chettiar, a Beri Chettiar, and Kandappa Achari, a Vishwakarma, used to worship Murugan at Tirupporur. One day, while going to Tirupporur, they discovered Kandaswamy's idol hidden in an anthill. They brought it back to Madras. On an auspicious day in 1673, they installed and consecrated the deity's idol in a Vinayagar temple in the garden of Muthiyalu Naicken of Pedda Naickenpet. Subsequently, when Mari Chettiar sought to build a temple for the deity, his wife gave her jewelry; Muthiyalu Naicken donated the lands on which the present temple now stands.

After completing the Kandakottam Temple, he handed its management to the "Eighteen Group" Beri Chettiars. Remembering his services, the Beri Chettiars installed a statue of Mari Chettiar near the temple's sanctum.

History of the Kandakottam Temple

Velur Mari Chetty constructed the temple during the 17th century. The present structure was built with stone in the 1800s and underwent many renovations from time to time. The trustees from the Beri Chettiar Community have been managing the temple activities. Maha Kumbhabishekam was conducted on July 2, 2016.

The 1912 inscription on a shop wall in Mint Street shows that T. Raghava Prasad Lala's wife, Kuppammal, donated for the Midday Pooja, Karthikai Somavaram, and Deepam functions. A house with a piece of land situated at Chenna Pattinam Peddanaickenpet, Subramania Mudaliar Street, was also gifted to the Kandakottam Temple.

According to the temple inscriptions, Murugan's Moolavar (main idol) was discovered and brought from a tank bund close to Tirupporur Shri Kandha Swamy Temple, a famous Murugan temple in Chennai. That idol was installed in the Kandakottam Temple during the 1670s.

The Architecture of the Kandakottam Temple

The Kandakottam Temple faces north with a 5-tier Rajagopuram. The temple sprawls over eight acres with a Dhwajasthambam and a Bali Peetam.

An Artha Mandapam and Mukha Mandapam are in the temple. Parivedan Mandapam is at the entrance of the temple.

The idols of Sarva Siddhi Vinayagar, Meenakshi Sundareswarar, Idumban, Arunagirinathar, Sri Vallalar, Pamban Swamigal, and the image of Mari Chetty are in the Mukha Mandapam.

Sculptured images of Vezhamugathu Vinayagar are on either side of the Parivedan Mandapam. Dhwaja Sthambam is before the Artha Mandapam.

The sanctum enshrines Sri Kandaswamy, Moolavar, with his consorts Valli and Deivayanai. Sri Muthukumara Swamy is the Utsavar.

Ganapathy, Dakshinamurthy, Mahavishnu, Brahma, and Durga are the Koshta deities around the sanctum. Murugan, Kukkudanathar, Mahalakshmi, 63 Nayanar, and Chandikeswarar shrines are in the inner prakaram.

Chidambara Swamigal, Dhandapani Swamigal, Kumaraguru Dasa Swamigal, Ramalinga Swamigal, Urchavar Mandapam, Vinayagar, Kasi Viswanathar and Visalakshi, Kalvettukkal shrines are in the outer prakaram.

Vinayagar, Urchavar, Valli Deivayanai Sri Subramanyar, Veerabahu, Kasi Viswanathar and Visalakshi, Shiva and Parvati and Arumugam are in separate shrines. Saravana Poigai is the temple Theertham, and the Magizham tree is the Sthala Vriksham.

Pithukkuli Murugadass, Purasai Arunagiri, Dharmapuram Swaminathan (Oduvar), and Thirumuruga Kripananda Variyar Swamigal frequently visited the Kandakottam Temple and gave performances such as concerts, discourses, etc., especially during the festive season.

Festival in the Kandakottam Temple

The Kandakottam Temple celebrates the Kandha Shasti festival for six days between October and November yearly with great pomp. Panguni Uthiram, Vaikasi Visakam, Brahmotsavam, Vasantha Utsavam, Thai Poosam, and Navaratri are other festivals celebrated in the Kandakottam Temple.