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Temples
Chidambaram
 Chidambaram
is one of the holiest and most venerated temples in Tamilnadu
dedicated to Lord Natarajah. When people refer to 'koil' (the
Tamil word for temple) the word denotes the temple in
Chidambaram. Chidambaram is referred to in Hindu scriptures by
other names such as Thillai, Puliyur, Chittambalam, Vyagrapuram
and Pundareekapuram. The temple has attained such sanctity and
sacredness due to its antiquity and its association with so many
miracles mentioned in Hindu scriptures. Many sages, saints and
religious savants have sung in praise of the presiding deity.
Location:
Chidambaram is about
250 km south of Chennai (Madras) and is easily reached by rail and
road. The town is situated on the main railway route between
Chennai and Trichi about halfway between these two towns. There
are buses from all the major towns of Tamilnadu to this temple
town. Temples
in Chennai
-
Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore
-
Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane
-
Pazhani Andavar Temple in Vadapalani
Kapaleeswarar Temple
Kapaleeswarar temple is situated in Mylapore a suburb of Chennai. The main deity, Lord Shiva, is worshipped as Kapaleeswarar and the Goddess as Katpahavalli. Mention of this temple in the
- old devotional hymns
by Hindu 'Nayanmars' who lived during the 7th century is evident
that this temple had been in existence for more than a thousand
years. Some scholars cast doubt as to the age of the present
building as the architecture and the images in this temple point
to a period of about 300 years ago. They believe that the original
temple had been in the Santhome area near the sea as recent
archaeological excavations in that area point to the presence of a
temple during that period. However, this temple has become very
famous and attracts thousands of devotees especially during
festival days.
Sri Parthasarathy
Temple  Situated
in the Triplicane area of Chennai, this temple is dedicated to
Lord Vishnu who is worshipped as Lord Venkatakrishnar. He is seen
with His consort Rukmani on His right and His brother Sri
Balaraman on His left. Sri Parthasarathy is installed as a
processional deity with his consorts Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi on
either side.
Palaniandavar
Temple (VADAPALANI) The temple at Vadapalani is dedicated to Lord
Subramanya and the deity is worshipped as Pazhani Andavar. A
picture of Lord Subrahmanya was brought here from Palani that
became a very potent divinity, thus acquiring the name Vadapalani.
Vadapalani lies in the northern part of Chennai. Rameswaram  Rameswaram,
an island about 160 km Southeast of Madurai is connected to the
mainland both by a railway and a road bridge. It is a major
pilgrim site. It is believed that the pilgrimage one undertakes in
Kasi in the very north should culminate in bathing in the sacred
waters of Rameswaram in order to obtain the full benefit.
According to 'Ramayana', the Hindu epic, Lord Rama himself had
installed the Lingam in this place which therefore gains an added
importance and is held in high esteem by all the Hindus of India
both Vaishnavites and Saivites. The other pilgrimage point in this
island of Rameswaram is Dhanuskodi that is also called 'Sethu'. It
is considered meritorious to take a dip in the sea off the coast
of Dhanushkodi. There are several other small temples of interest
scattered around this island.
Swamimalai Swamimalai is one of
the six famous abodes of Lord Subramanya. The temple is built on
an artificial hill and is reached by a flight of steps.The deity
is worshipped as Swaminathan.
The temple 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.
Kanyakumari Kumari
Amman Temple
Picturesquely
situated overlooking the shore, this temple and the nearby Ghat
attract 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 sparkling
splendour which is supposed to be visible even from the sea.
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