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Temples / Pilgrimages / Places of Worship in Tamilnadu |
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Sri Parthsarathy Temple, Chennai
Sri
Parthasarathy Temple, devoted to Lord Krishna, was originally built by the
Pallavas in the 8th century and renovated in the 16th century bt the
Vijayanagars. It houses the five 'avatars' of Lord Vishnu, and has a small
temple shrine dedicated to Vishnu's consort, Vedavalli Ammai. It's one of
the oldest surviving temple in Chennai. Sri
Kapaleeswar Temple, Chennai Kapaleeswarar,
an ancient Shiva temple, is the biggest temple in Chennai. A masterpiece
of Dravidian style and displays the architectural elements - gopurams,
mandapams and a tank. There are some fragmentary inscriptions dating back
to 1250 AD. Brihadeeshwara Temple, Tanjore
Brihadeshwara Temple & Fort built by great Chola king in the 10th century
it is an outstanding example of Chola architecture and is listed in world
heritage. On the top of the apex of 63 metres high, a dome is said to be
constructed from a single piece of granite, weighing an estimated 81
tones. The dome was hauled into place along a 6 km earthwork ramp in a
manner similar to the one used by the Egyptian Pyramids. The temple has
been the sense of continuous worship for over thousand years. Shree Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
This temple is dedicated to the consort of Lord Shiva with
its towering gopurams (rising high above the surrounding country side).
Every day, the Meenakshi Temple attracts pilgrims in thousands, from all
over India. The temple is named after the daughter of a Pandyan king who,
according to legend, was born with three breasts. At the time of the
birth, the king was told that the extra breast would disappear, when she
met the man she was supposed to marry, and this happened when she met Lord
Shiva on Mount Kailas. Shiva arrived in Madurai, later, in the form of
Lord Sundereshwara, and married her. The Meenakshi temple is an excellent
example of Dravidian architecture, with gopurams or multi pillared halls,
covered from top to bottom, in a profusion of multicoloured images of
gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The temple occupies an area
of around six hectares, and has four entrances to it. Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
Chidambaram was a Chola capital from 907 to 1310 and the Nataraja Temple
was erected during the reign of Vira Chola Raja (927-997). The complex is
said to be the oldest in southern India. It covers 13 hectares and has
four gopurams, the north and south ones towering at 49m high.
Two of the gopurams are carved with the 108 classical postures of Nataraja,
Siva in his role as the cosmic dancer.Other notable features of the temple
are the 1000-pillared hall, the Nritta Sabha court carved out like a
gigantic chariot, and the image of Nataraja himself in the inner sanctum.
There are other temples in the complex, including those dedicated to
Parvati, Subrahmanya and Ganesh, and a newer Vishnu temple.
The Nataraja Temple courtyard with its many shrines is open from 4 am to
noon and 4.30 to 9 pm. The special puja ceremony, held at 5 pm every
Friday evening, is certainly spectacular with fire rituals and the
clashing of bells and drums. Every other night, at the same time, regular
puja ceremonies are conducted.
Marudhamalai Temple, Coimbatore
Dedicated to Lord Subramanya, this hilltop temple is one of the most
visited temples in the region, the reason being that the residing deity
Dandayuthapani is believed to have performed several miracles here. Thai
Poosam and Tirukarthigai festivals are celebrated with great pomp and
gaiety at this temple. Marudhamalai is 12 kms from the Railway Station.
Thirumoorthy Temple, Coimbatore
It is situated at the foot of Thirumoorthy Hills adjoining the
Thirumoorthy Dam. This is about 20 kms. from Udumalpet on the Highway from
Palani to Coimbatore. A perennial stream flows by the side of the Sri
Amalingeswarar temple and nearby there is a waterfalls. The Crocodile Farm
at Amaravathi Dam is just 25 kms. from here. Perur Temple Coimbatore
This Temple is 7 kms from Coimbatore Railway Station and was
constructed by Karikal Cholan over 1500 years ago. There are shrines to
the presiding deity Patteeswarar and his consort Pachainayaki and some
elegantly carved sculptures in the Kanagasabai hall. Devotees flock to
this temple in hundreds during the Panguni Uthiram festival which is
celebrated in March every year. Ramanathaswamy
Temple, Rameshwaram Close to the sea, on the eastern
side of the island, is this 17th century temple, renowned for its
magnificent pillar corridor, running to a length of 1200 metres, and
flanked by ornate pillars. This is the longest corridor in India.
Construction of the temple began, in the 12th century AD, and additions
were made to the building, over the succeeding centuries by various
rulers, and, today, its gopuram is 53.6 metres high. There are 22 sacred
wells in the temple, the water of each tasting different from the others. Rock Fort Temple
This temple crowns a massive outcrop of rock, that soars
83 metres upwards, from the surrounding plains. It is reached by a steep
flight of 437 steps, cut into the rock. Halfway up is the Sri
Thayumanaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has a 100-pillared
hall, and a Vimana, covered with gold. On the southern face of the rock,
are several beautifully carved, rock-cut cave temples, of the Pallava
period. Non - Hindus are not allowed into the sanctum sanctorum, at the
summit. Built by the Nayaks, who were the founders of the city, it was one
of the main centres, around which, the wars of the Carnatic were fought in
the 18th century, during the British - French struggle for supremacy in
India.
Shore Temples, Mamallapuram
The shore temples were built in the 7th century, during the reign of
Rajasimha, and depict the final phase of Pallava art. These beautiful
temples, ravaged by wind and sea, were given the World Heritage listing, a
few years ago. The two spires of the temples, contain a shrine for Lord
Vishnu and for Lord Shiva. The Mahabalipuram dance festival is held every
year from January 15 to February 15. During this period, dances from all
over the country are staged here, including Kathakali from Kerala,
Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh as well as tribal dances, puppet shows and
classical and traditional music concerts.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam
This temple, 6 kms north of the city, is among the most revered shrines to
Lord Vishnu in South India, and probably, the largest temple complex in
India. Enclosed by seven rectangular walled courtyards, this 13th century
temple has 21 gopurams. The town, and the temple, are set on a 250-hectare
island in the Cauvery, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The temple
is very well preserved, with excellent carvings, and numerous shrines to
various gods, though the main temple is dedicated to Vishnu.
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