CHENNAI: There are many ancient temples on the south bank of River Cheyyar close to Kanchipuram. One among these is the Kadambanatha Svami temple in a village called Kadambar Koil. This place is believed to have been a Kadamba vanam (forest of Kadamba trees) and hence the name. The Sthala Vrikaham (sacred tree) of this temple is the Kadamba and can be seen in a corner of the prakaram (enclosure). Incidentally, the Kadamba tree, mostly associated with Siva and Karthikeya, is the Sthala-Vriksham of other temples including the well-known Minakshi-Sundaresvarar temple in Madurai, which was also located in a Kadamaba vana. It is interesting to note that River Cheyyar, which flows from west to east, flows for a short distance from south to north at Kadambar Kovil.
According to the Sthala Puranam (traditional story of this place), Muruga, also known as Kadamba (as he wears a garland of Kadamba flowers), was sent by his father, God Siva to protect rishis (sages) in this area from two demons named Malayan and Makaran. Muruga killed the demons and built a temple for Siva here. The deity hence came to be called Kadambanatha Svami (Siva who was worshipped by Kadamba) and the place as Kadambar Kovil. Siva asked Muruga to settle down closeby and he did so in a place called Ilaiyanar Velur which has a temple for Balasubramanya Svami.
It is believed that Thirugnanasambanar (one of the sixty-three Nayanmars or important devotees of Siva) who lived in the 7th century AD has sung in praise of Kadambanatha Svami, having composed hymns in praise of Siva in nearby places like Magaral and Kuranganimuttam. Since the Tamil verses composed by him in Kadambar Kovil are lost, this temple is not counted as one among the Padal Petra Sthalams or temples praised in the hymns of the Nayanmars.
The Kadambanatha Svami temple faces east with a three-tier gopuram in front which opens into a wide outer prakaram with the dvaja-stambham (flag-post), bali-pitham and Nandi-mandapam. To the left of the dvaja-stambham is a modern Kalyana-mandapam where the Kalyana Utsavam (sacred marriage of the God and Goddess of this temple) is performed. In front of the Nandi-mandapam is the entrance to a large maha-mandapam and straight ahead is the principal sanctum enshrining the Swayambhu (self-manifested) Siva Linga worshipped as Kadambanatha Svami. In the devakoshtas (niches) on the outer walls of the main sanctum are images of Ganesha, Dakshinamurti, Mahavishnu, Brahma and Durga while in the prakaram are shrines for Vinayaka, Arumukha (Muruga) and Chandesa.
To the left of the maha-mandapam is the sanctum for Goddess Parvati worshipped here as Avudaiya Nayaki, opposite which is the palliarai. Next to the sanctum for this deity is a small shrine for Kala Bhairavar. A few Tamil inscriptions are found here. One belongs to the reign of Vira Rajendra Chola (1062-1070 AD), son of Rajendra Chola I and refers to a gift of land to this temple, but is unfortunately damaged.
Another epigraph is dated in the reign of the famous Vijayanagara Emperor Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529 AD) and mentions the donation of a village to this temple for offerings and worship of Kadambanatha Svami, but this one too is unfortunately damaged.