PUZHAL SHIVA TEMPLES

1. THIRUMULANADHAR TEMPLE

Puzhal is 18kms from Chennai. In the Chola period, Puzhal was called Raja Sundhari Nalloor. We come to know that the Raja Sundhari was Rajaendra Chola’s daughter-in-law from the inscriptions found in the Thirumoolanaadhar temple in Puzhal. The thirupani of Thirumoolanaadhar temple was don’t by the Pallavas and Cholas. This found from the inscriptions found on the steps of the Maha Mandapa. As years went by the temple lost its maintenance. Raasa Naarayanan Sambhuvarayan the first renovated this temple and the Kumbabishekam was done in the year 1341 AD. As years went by the temple was damaged and it was found amidst trees and Shrubs. When a Devi Ubashakar Ramdas Swamigal came to puzhal 20 years back he saw the condition of this temple and took steps to renovate the temple. We find many carvings in the temple. The Karuvarai vimanam is devakota vimanam. 

The koshta deities such as Vinayaka, Dhakshinamurthy, Vishnu, Brahma and Durgai have all been constructed before the 14^th century by the Cholas.  The sun’s rays fall on the Moolavar Thirumoolanaadhar in the months of Purattaasi and Panguni. The temple tank is in the south of the temple. There is an underground passage near the Amman temple. It reaches the Thiruvotriyur Thyagaraja temple. The Vinayaka in the prahara is about 5ft tall. There are sannadhis for Subramanya, mahalakshmi, Kaasi Viswanaadhar and Visaalakshi. Anybody can perform abhisheka to Viswanaadhar and worship him. This is a special feature here. In early days, the raja rishis used 64 types of medicinal herbs to perform abhisheka to Thirumoolanaadhar. Even now on Aani Powrnami the juice of 64 types of medicinal herbs is used for abhisheka. This is another feature of this temple. The intake of this abhisheka water relieves us from diseases. There are many copper statues which are of high value. During Navarathiri Mahasandi yaaga is being performed. For every Mahasivarathiri the Ganga water is brought for the abhisheka. Rajasthanis celebrate Navarathiri in this temple as a great celeberation.