Friday 20 April 2018

Sri Panayathamman Temple / Pidari Panayathamman Kovil / பிடாரி பணயதம்மன் கோவில், Poonamallee, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

... A continuation post to Kottai Veeran Muneeswarar Temple - Exploring Poonamaallee - A Heritage Walk
15th April 2018.
Our next visit before Poonamallee big mosque was to Sri Pidari Panayathamman Temple, which has the history connected with Queen Victoria. Though the temple is small but it has the heritage value.


Main deity : Sri Pidari Panayathamman

Some of the important features of this temple are…
This Amman temple is facing North on the left side of Main road before Poonamallee. The main sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum, artha mandapam and a shed as mukha mandapam. The sanctum does not have any Vimana. In the sanctum ceiling we could found the supporting granite slabs has the Chozha period inscriptions ( might have been brought from a nearby Chozha Period temple ).

In the outer prakaram statues of amman ( might be a Pothyal of  pillars), a Kanthu, an 18th century memory stone / a village small deity  and head less Ayyanar with poorna and pushkala. 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The temple is a Ellai kaaval theivam and once this place was with full of Palmyrah ( Panai maram in Tamil language )  groves, hence Amman got this name.

On 16th February 1887, Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee was celebrated in Poonamallee. All the streets were decorated with thoranams, arches and flags inscribed as “Long Live Empress Victoria”, “May the British Empire Prosper”, “May the British Empire Lost Long”, “God save the Empress”, etc,. As a part of celebration, about 1000 people were  fed with non vegetarian food in this Pidari Panayathamman temple. In the evening Urchavars are taken out for procession.

TEMPLE TIMINGS:
The temple will be kept opened between 06.00 hrs to 10.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs 

HOW TO REACH:
This temple is on the main road before Poonamallee from Guindy.
20 to 30 meters from Poonamallee big Mosque

LOCATION:CLICK HERE


 Chozha Period inscription slab kept to support the ceiling 
 Kanthu ( The earliest form of Shiva Linga Worship )
 A panel of small deity / or memory stone of 18th century

Head less Ayyanar with poorna and pushkala.
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

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