This
Sri Sundhareswarar Temple at Kovur is one of the Navagrha Temples ( Budhan
Parihara Sthalam ), of Thondai Mandalam on the out skirts of Chennai and a
Pancharathra Kshetram, sung by Sri Thyagaraja Swamigal. This temple has a close connection
with Mangadu.
Moolavar : Sri Thirumeneeswarar, Sri
Sundareswarar
Consort : Sri Thiruvudai Nayagi, Sri
Soundrambigai
Some of the important features of this temple are….
The temple is facing east with a 7 tier Rajagopuram on south. The
dwajasthambam, balipeedam and Rishabam are on east side in the outer prakaram. The
entrance to the main shrine is from south. In koshtam, Ganapathy,
Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and Durgai.
In artha mandapam Nagars, dwarapalakas are on both side of the
entrance to sanctum sanctorum. In the inner prakaram Naalvar, Kalikambal,
Veerabhadra, Somaskandar, Sukravara Amman, Muthumariamman, Ponni Amman, Vinayagar, Chandrasekar, Chandikeswarar, Karunakara Perumal with Sridevi and
Bhoodevi, Subramaniar, 63var, Thogai Adiyargal, Sekkizhar, Bairavar,
Suryan and Natarajar with Sivakami.
In the outer prakaram Nethra Vinayagar, Varasiddhi Vinayagar and Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar.
ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of Sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha
mandapam and maha mandapam. Moolavar vimanam is of gajaprishta style, on a 3
agnga adhisthanam. Provision for burning oil is on the adhisthanam was made on
back side. The super structure Gajaprishta Vimanam above the sanctum sanctorum
is of 2 talas above prastaram. Stucco images of Shiva, Dakshinamurthy, Maha
Vishnu, Brahma, Ashtadikpalas and other deities are on the tala and greevaa
koshtas. The Rajagopuram is of 7 tiers
and each tier opening / dwara is of mada style. The first tier has the stucco image of Thiryagaraja Swamy's visit to this temple.
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
As per Kanchipuram Mavatta Tholliyal Kaiyedu, Rajaraja
Chozha-I’s 9th reign year inscription on a pillar in the inner
prahara records the endowment of conducting daily poojas by a lady of this
Village. For the same she had purchased a land by paying Gold and gifted to
this temple. The inscription mentions Shiva’s name as "Rajarajeswaramudaya
nayanar", in the name of the King.
Another inscription records the endowment of burning a lamp by
Kaman Perungattu Pillai. For the same he had deposited 10 panam with the
temple’s Perumal Bhattan. In the Inscription Kaman Perungattu Pillai, mentions
that he was one of the 70 families and belongs to Thirumyalapore Elelasinga’s
parambara family, who are made to settle by Karikalan at Kanchi
Ramathevachery.
Another Vijayakanda Gopalan’s 5th reign year ( 1253
CE ) inscription is on the south side of the Temple, which indicates that the
temple was reconstructed during 13th century.
Inscription Pillars are near Dakshinamurthy
As per the real story, Thiyagaraja Swamy was attacked by the
thieves at Kovur on his way to Tirupati. When inquired, they denied their
act of throwing stones. Thiyagaraja Swamy realized that the act was by Sri
Rama. He stayed for 6 months at this place and worshipped Shri Shiva of this
temple. He had composed a pancharatna Keerthana on Shiva of this temple.
ஸ்ரீ தியாகராஜ
ஸ்வாமிகள் இயற்றிய பிரசித்திப்பெற்ற கோவூர் பஞ்சரத்னம்.
பந்துவராளி ரூபகம்
ப ஸம்போ
மஹாதேவ சங்கர கிரிஜாரமண ஸம்
அ. ஸம்போ
மஹாதேவ ஸரணாகத ஜநரக்ஷக
அம்போ
ருஹலோசந பதாம்புஜ பக்திம் தே ஹி ஸம்
ச பரமதா
யாகர ம்ருக தா ஹர கங்காதர தரணீ
தரபூஷண
த்யாகராஜவர ஹிருதய நிவேஸ
ஸுரப்ருந்த
.கிரீடமணி வரநீ ராஜிதபத கோ
புரவாஸ
ஸுந்தரேஸ கிரீஸ பராத்பர பவஹர ஸம்
ஸஹாந ஆதி
ப ஈவஸுத நீவம்டி தைவமு நெம்துகா நாரா ஈ
அ பரவுகமுகல்கி
வர்தில்லு கோவூரி ஸுந்தரேச கிரீச ஈ
ச ஆஸசே
அரநிமிஷமுநீ புரவாஸ மெ… ஜேயுவாரிநிமதி
வேஸட
வெல்லநு தொலகிம்சிதந ராஸுல நாய வுலு
பூஸுர
பக்தியு தோஜமுந னொ… புவந… மது கீர்த்தி கல்கஜேஸே
தாஸவரத தியாகராஜ ஹ்ருதா சித்விலாஸ ஸுந்தரேச ஈ
கல்யாணி ருபகம்.
ப நம்மி வச்சிந நந்நு நயமுக ப்ரோவவே நம்
அ கொம்மநி
வரமுல நொஸகு கோவூரி ஸுந்த ரேஸ நம்
ச வேதபுராணாகம
சாஸ்த்ராதுலு குமி கூடி
பாதமுலநு
கநஜாலக பதிமாலி வேட
நாதரூப
ஸ்ரீ சௌந்தர்ய நாய கீபதே பேத
வாத
ரஹித தியாகராஜ வரதஸுந்தரேஸநிநு நம்
கரஹாப்பிரிய ஆதி
ப கோரி ஸேவிம்பராரே கோர்கெ வீடேர கோரி
அ ஸ்ரீரமணி கரமௌ கோவூரி
ஸுந்தரமூர்த்தி நி கோரி
ச ஸுருலு வெயி வந்நெ பங்காரு விருலசே பூஜிம்சக பூ
ஸுருலு
ஸநகாதி மௌநி வருலு நுதிம்பக
ஸிருலித்துநநி
கொலுவையுண்டு ஸ்ரீசௌந்தர்ய நாயிகா
வருநி
ஸ்ரீதியாகராஜ வரது நி பரமாத்முநி ஹருநி கோரி
ஸங்கராபரணம் ருபகம்
ப ஸுந்தரேசவருநி ஜுசி ஸுருல ஜுட மநஸு வச்சுநா ஸுந்
அ அந்தமுகல
வரகௌசிதி ஸமாநமைந கோபுரமந்து வெலயு மா ஸுந்
ஸ ஸரணமுலநு
பங்காருநூ புரமுலு கரமுல ரவ கங்கண யுகமுலு
ஸ்ரீகரகர
முகமுந கஸ்தூரி திலகமு மேரயுசுநுண்டு லாவண்யமுகல ஸுந்
ஒகசேர
பாஹமாதி ஸுருலு ஒகசோ நிர்ஜரவார தருணுலு
ஒகசேர
நும்புரு நாரதாதுலு ஒகசேர பக்துவெல்லபாகு ஸுந்
ராஜா
..ஜநிகி செலிகாடைந ராஜசேகருநி கோபுரநிலயுநி
ராஜஸகுண
ரஹிதுநி ஸ்ரீதியாகராஜ பூஜிதுநி ரஜித கிரீசுநி ஸுந்
Stucco images of Thyagaraja and his disciples, the sthala purana
Stucco images of Thyagaraja and his disciples, the sthala purana
Sekkizhar who was born at Kundrathur, is about few KM away from this
place had written the 63 Nayanmar’s Purana, called Periya Puranam from this
place.
LEGENDS
As per one of the legend, Ma Parvati was doing a thabas standing
on one leg, on Shiva at Mangadu. Due to the thabas, this place was experienced
with unbearable heat. So the Rishis requested Maha Vishnu to save them from
heat generated by Ambal’s thabas. Maha Vishnu in-turn asked Mahalakshmi to care
of the Maharishis request. Mahalakshmi took the form of Cow and worshiped Shiva
of this temple. Satisfied with Mahalakshmi’s prayer, Shiva and Ma Parvati united together once again. Hence this
place was called as “Kopuri”, which has corrupted to the present name of Kovur.
This temple is a Budhan parihara sthalam and one of the Navagraha
Temples of Thondai Nadu around Chennai. Budhan is also called as Mercury
Planet. As per astrology, Budhan is a neutral planet and it will not do any
adverse effect individually. But when it conjunction with other planets it will
do adverse effect like, suffer from lack of education, frequent sorrows &
worries, stress and argumentative behaviour.
CONTACT DETAILS :
The temple can be contacted through the land line +91
44 24780124 & mobile number +91 9677155245 ( The same number is given for
the Somangalam and Kovur Shiva temples also since the same Sivachariyar does
pooja there also ).
HOW TO REACH
The place is on the bus
route from Porur to Kundrathur and the temple is about 500 meters off the main
road on right side.
Kovur is on the way to Kundrathur from
Porur.
Kovur is about 5.5 KM from Porur Junction, 17 KM from Koyambedu Bus Terminus,
23 KM from Chennai Central.
Nearest
Railway Station is Guindy, and Junction is Tambaram 16 KM.
Vyagrapada and Pathanjali
The Adyar - A Cultural Mapping Heritage Walk - January 2017
Looking What? Stucco images of Thyagaraja and his disciples
Dr Padma Sugavanam’s musical treat
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OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
