Parthasarathy Temple

The Partasarathy Temple is located in the Tiruvallikeni (Triplicane) area of Chennai city. The temple is considered be the oldest of its kind in the Chennai city. The temple origins date back to the 8th century A.D., the reference of which has been given in the Vaishnavite works of the Alwar saints. The Parthasarathy Temple bears impressions of the popular historic dynasties like Pallavas, Cholas and Vijaynagar.

Parthasarathy temple was originally built by the Pallavas. The temple saw its renovation by later dynasties, including the Chola and the Vijaynagar kingdom. Parathasarathy temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The name Parthasarathy has been derived from two Sanskrit words Partha and Sarathy. The former word refers to Arjuna and the later means Charioteer. The temple architectures is a medley of temple building style. There are inscriptions of the Pallavas, Cholas and the Vijaynagar kingdom on the temple structure.The temple besides being dedicated to Parthasarathy, is also revered for Venkatakrishnaswami and to Ranganathar. The temple, when it was built, housed five avataras of the deity Vishnu. The structure, as it stands today, houses the shrines of poular deities like Venkatakrishnan with Rukmani, Balaraman, Satyaki, Anirudha, Pradyumna, Rama, Lakshmana, Barata, Sita, Shatrugna, Varadarajan and Hanuman.

During festival days the place is given a new look and accompanied by various traditional rites. The floating mirror palanquin which is brought out, to pay homage to Parthasarathy is one such traditional practice. The tradition followed a good 135 years of practice and was temporarily stopped, following the deterioration suffered by the palanquin

Kapaleeswarar Temple

Kapaleeswar Temple is one of the most visited temples in the state of Tamil Nadu. The temple, located in the region of Mylapore in Chennai suburbs, is a fine example of the Dravidian culture. The temple structure, as it exists, is about 300 years old. However, the deities have been regularly told of in the words of popular personalities.

Kapaleeswar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple houses the shrines of Kapaleeswar (Shiva) and Karpagambal (Parvati). The temple architecture reveals the Dravidian traits, with its carved gopuram measuring about 37 metres in height. The temple is also provided with elaborate mandapams and a storage tank. The inscriptions on the temple structure are some seven and a half centuries old. The structure was renovated by the Vijayanagar kings in the 16th century A.D. The facade of the structure lies towards the east and the entrance is marked with Puranic inscriptions. The temple flag mast has the shrine of Saint Gnanasambandar, who is believed to have resurrected a girl. This shrine is one of the reasons for the popularity of the temple. The Punnai tree in the courtyard reveals the tale that eventually gave the place (Mylapore) its name. This tree is the oldest of its kind in the city of Chennai.

Kapaleeswaram is provided with a Shiv Lingam, which is believed as having been installed by the Brahma, to do penance. The lingam is known Kapaleeswarar. A small shrine of Parvati in the form of peacock is contained within the courtyard. There is one more courtyard that houses the shrines of 63 saints.

The place witnesses a huge crowd during the Arupathu Moovar Vizha Festival. The temple is beautifully adorned with the streets complimenting the stated phenomenon. There are processions, sweet distribution ceremonies and classical dance performance in the nearby region. The ten days festival gives the temple and the area of Mylapore a new tint of excitement.

Ashtalakshmi Temple

Ashtalakshmi Temple is a recently built temple that stands on the shores of Bay of Bengal. The temple is situated in the Besant Nagar suburbs of Chennai city. The temple is grounded on the southern tip of a popular beach of Chennai that is Elliot's beach. The Tiruvanmiyur Bus Station is only a couple of kilometres away and provides easy access to the place.

Ashtalakshmi Temple is considered as the only temple featuring the eight manifestations of the Goddess Mahalakshmi. The temple was built in the year 1976 and features various characteristics of Dravidian temple architecture. Ashtalakshmi temple and the Mahalakshmi temple in Mumbai are the only temples of the goddess that are located on the Indian coast. The eight manifestations of Goddess Mahalakshmi include Sri Aadhi lakshmi the Goddess of health, Sri Dhanya lakshmi the Goddess of food, Sri Dhairya lakshmi the Goddess of courage, Sri Gaja lakshmi the Goddess of luck, Sri Santhana Lakshmi the Goddess of children, Sri Dhana lakshmi the Goddess of wealth, Sri Vijaya lakshmi the Goddess of victory and Sri Vidya lakshmi the Goddess of education. Some other deities worshipped here include Sri Hanuman, Sri Guruvayurappa and Sri Ganesh. The temple was built by a trust consisting of five members and headed by Mukkur Srinivasa Varadhachriyar. In the year 1994 the temple authorities by the state government and at present is run by the Hindu Religious Endowments and Administrative Departments. The temple witnesses a great fervor in the popular festivals like Navratri, Deepavali and Pongal.

The temple features a blend of ancient Dravidian architecture and the contemporary style of temple building. The temple complex consists of a series of tiers, five in number, with some prolific stone works. The images of principal deities, Mahalakshmi and Mahavishnu, are located in the second tier. On the southern end of the first tier is the image of Aadhi laksmi. On the western and northern turf are the images of Dhaanya and Dhairya laksmi. A flight of stairs takes from the first to the second one. Here one can find the shrine of Santaana Lakshmi facing the southward dierction. The shrine of Vijaya lakshmi is located in the same tier but towards the west. Facing the eastern side of the tier is the shrine of Gaja lakshmi. The fourth tier contains only the shrine of Dhana lakshmi, that faces towards the east. The whole structures is painted with a multitude of colors. With the sea in the background, Ashtalakshmi temple looks simply superb.

Vadapalani Temple

Vadapalani is one of the most frequently visited temples in the Chennai city. The temple is located near Andavar Koil Street in the Vadapalani area of city suburbs. Vadapalani temple is one renowned worshipping place in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Vadapalani temple used to be a small thatched shed some 125 years ago. The temple is dedicated to Lord Muruga, who is the most revered deity in the state of Tamil Nadu. The small hut which was later on replaced by the existing structure was built by Annaswami Tambiran. Annaswami was a great devotee of Lord Muruga and it is he who built the hut and put an image of Lord Muruga in it. The person is said to have been put into trance while worshipping in the temple. Annaswami in his state of trance started uttering words that became popular as Arulvak. After the demise of the devotee some three more carried on the mission. The place became popular and offerings in great amount were secured by the head maintaining the temple. One great names among the contributors responsible for constructing the temple is of Kripananda Variyar.


The temple at Vadapalani is primarily dedicated to Lord Muruga. Some other deities, besides Lord Muruga, that are worshipped here include Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvathi, Lord Ganesh and Lord Anjaneya. The temple is provided with a number of courtyards featuring many sannidhis. The temple entrance is covered with a rajagopuram which is adorned with images depicting the legends of Skanda Puranam. The temple is affronted with a large temple tank. On the eastern wall of the temple structure are bharata natyam gestures.

The temple is provided with a large hall were marriage ceremonies are performed. The temple is one of the premier places for performing marriage and about 7000 marriages are performed here annualy. The festival ceremonies held in the complex include that of Skanda Sashti and Panguni Uttiram.

Marundeeswarar Temple

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.

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.

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.

ISKCON Temple

ISKCON Temple is located in the Injambakkam region of Chennai city. The temple structure lies in the Thyagaray Nagar and off the, Burkir Road.The temple is one of the many populsr worshipping places established by the ISKCON society in the region of India.

The ISKCON preaching in Chennai was started by H.H. Giriraj, a disciple of the founder of ISKCON. It was not un till 1983 that the ISKCON Chennai established a temple and ashram at Kilapuak Garden Road. The deities to this temple were donated by a patron and the worship started from late 1983. In the year 1988 ISKCON Headquarters moved to T Nagar.

The ISKCON Temple at Chennai like other ISKCON centres is the axis point from where the teachings of Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya are spread. The temple is the most frequently visited one in the capital city of Tamil Nadu. The deities worshipped in the temple include those of Rukmini and Krishna. The image of deity Satyabhama, one of the eight wives of Krishna, is also housed in the temple premises. Other deities worshipped in the temple include Jagannath, Baladeva, Subhadra and Gaura-Nitai. The ISKCON Temple of Chennai is built over a small area and has few provisions. But the rush of the pious devotees is quite the same as at other centres and temples.

Postal Address
ISKCON,
Hare Krishna Land,
Injambakkam,
Chennai-41.
Phone numbers: 55499502 , 30911472

Shree Gujarat Swetamber Temple

Shree Gujarati Swetamber is located in the capital city of Tamil Nadu, Chennai. The popular Jain Temple lies in the heart of the city suburbs that is George Town. The temple is located on the popular Mint Street, in the outskirts of the city.

Shree Gujarati Swetamber has the distinction of being the first Jain temple in the Southern India. The principal deity worshipped in the temple is Lord Parsvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara of the Jains'. The Jain temple bears impressions of the famous Dilwara temples. The temple structure has been built employing marble and provided with beautiful glass work. The structure as such differs from other buildings in that the iron has been totally avoided in the construction purpose. The idol inside the temple is made of quartz that has been finely cut and represents the green God. The central hall has been provided with extensive glass work that makes it glow with a spectrum of colors. The temple structure comprises of three gopurams and delicately carved doors (a total of five doors).

Some other interesting facts associated with the Jain temple are like, the architects, stone carvers and the workers employed in the construction of the temple were all hired from Rajasthan. The Jain priests travel all the way from North India to the mentioned Jain temple so as to provide discourses about the faith.

Kandaswamy Temple

Kandaswamy Temple is located in the George Town suburbs of Chennai central. The temple lies in the vicinity of Chennai city center and is easily accessible. The Broadway bus stop is less than a kilometre away.

According to historical records the Kandaswamy temple dates back to the 11th century A.D. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and bears some rich inscriptions of the era, that is 11th century. The temple architecture reveals the characteristic Chola style of temple building. The inscriptions on the temple structure provides some insights of the era that was dominated by the Chola kings. The shrines contained in the temple are those of Kadaswamy, Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Kandaswamy temple is not the only one of its kind. Two ancient temples in Cheyur very much resemble the Kandaswamy temple. These temples, dedicated to Perumaal and Shiva Valmimakathar, dates back from the same period. The temple attracts a large audience during the celebration of Skandasashti and Parguni (annual festival).

The temple is at a walking distance from the Broadway bus stop in Chennai central. In the George Town area take the Mint Street and reach to the Kandaswamy temple, as it is situated off the mentioned street.

Shree Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha

Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha is a famous worshipping place in the city of Chennai. The place makes up a revered place to the followers of Sikhism. The place is located in the southern sururbs of Chennai called T. Nagar.

Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha was established in the year 1949 by Lieutenant Colonel Gill. The said title represents an institution that was founded to bring solidarity among the members of Sikh community in the Chennai city. The institution emphasized on the social, cultural, spiritual values and means to further elevate these entities amongst the scattered members. The gurudwara (worshipping place) at T. Nagar was established to cultivate the already mentioned qualities. The gurudwara has gained immense popularity since its inception.

Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha is one of the popular pilgrim places in the city of Chennai. Sikhs in large number visit the place, especially in the festival days. The gurudwara represents a modern laid out building, very typical of the structures erected by this community. The important aspect of the place is the activities held here. Besides daily prayers one can see a good number of people being served free food in the community kitchen. The gurudwara authorities also run a medical centre where free medical aid is provided to the poor.

During the birthdays of Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Arjan Dev, the place is filled with the aura of devotion. The celebration of these days are marked with prayers and distribution of gifts to the poor. The place in more simpler words can be described as a spiritual healing one.