CHENNAI: Nungambakkam, an ancient area of present-day Chennai, has been mentioned as early as the 11th century AD in an inscription of Rajendra Chola I. The two temples in this place are for Agastheeshwarar and Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal, both well-known in this city.
According to the tradition of this temple, King Bommarajan who was suffering from high fever, bathed in the Agastheeshwarar temple tank, prayed to Lord Siva here and was cured of his illness. Planet Shukra (Velli in Tamil) once worshipped Siva here to regain his eyesight which he had earlier lost. Goddess Parvati was also in penance at the same time, but requested Siva to bless Shukra first. In turn Parvati requested Shukra to bless devotees and thus came to be worshipped as Shukravara Amman.
The temple faces east with a small gopuram and large tank in front, but has two entrances on the north and the south. The main sanctum houses the Siva Linga worshipped as Agashteeshwarar while other deities, including a lovely image of Bhikshatanamurti and Mohini; Nataraja and Sivakami and four important Siva devotees — Meikanda Devar, Arul Nandi Sivam, Maraijnana Sambandar and Umapati Sivam, are worshipped in the inner circumambulatory (pradakshina) around the main sanctum.
Goddess Parvati, known as Akhilandeshwari just as in the famous Jambukeshwarar temple in Thiruvannaikka on the island of Srirangam, is enshrined close to the main deity. The large outer prakaram has numerous shrines including one for Adhikara Nandi rarely seen in any temple in a separate sanctum. There are beautiful paintings on the ceiling of the outer mandapa of Dakshinamurti, and other deities. An inscription of 1808 AD, found on the north wall of this temple, states that Subbu Deivanayaka Mudaliar donated land, a choultry and groves to the temple for different festivals.
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The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture