Location
Marundeeswarar Temple is located in the southern suburbs of the
Chennai city. The temple stands at Tiruvanmiyur outskirts and about
15 kms from the Chennai Central Railway Station. The Tiruvanmiyur
bus terminal is in the vicinity and not more than a kilometre from
the place. One more important reference point is the East Coast
Road. The temple lies off the East Coast Road just few hundred
metres from the originating point of the road.
History
Marundeeswarar temple belongs to the Chola period. The temple is
believed to be built somewhere in the 7th century A.D. The temple is
dedicated to Lord Shiva. The very name Marundeeswarar represents
Divine Physician Shiva. The place is said to have been visited by
two great Saivite Saints namely Tirugnanasambandar and
Tirunavukkarasar, who are supposed to have had high regards for the
place. The stone inscriptions that are quite abundant in the temple
structure dates back to the 11th century A.D. The origins of the
temple also have been testified by the inscriptions on other temples
in the city, regarding the Marundeeswarar temple. Temple renovations
started from the beginning of the 20th century. A new life has been
put into this ancient worshipping place , first in the year 1903 and
then in 1970's.
Features
The temple is a renowned place primarily due to the visits made by
some of the great Hindu saints. These saints include
Tirugnanasambandar, Tirunavukkarasar, Arunagirinathar. The author of
the epic Ramayana, Valmiki, is believed to have worshipped at the
place. The deities worshipped here are Shiva, Tyagarajar, Goddess
Tripurasundari, Vijayaganapati, Subramanya, Ganapati and 63 Saivite
Saints. Marundeeswarar is built over an acre of land. The eastern
and western entrances are marked by elegant raja gopurams (cascading
towers). The central part is occupied by two large chambers housing
the Thyagaraja and Marundeeswarar mandapams. A total of 36
beautifully carved pillars stand here. Inside the temple complex are
provided a number of sculptures, including the dancing Ganapati,
Lord Narasimha killing the demon Hirankayasibu, Sarbeswara and
Mahavishnu. The temple also contains five main Sivalingams and 108
others.
The Vanni tree at the site is considered as sacred. There are five
tanks holding sacred water near the temple complex. These tanks have
been named as Janmanasini, Kamanasini, Papanasini, Gnanadhayini and
Mokshadhayini.
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