The well-known OMR (Old Mahabalipuram Road) is now known for its high-rise residential and office buildings. Not many know that there are a few old temples dotting this long road, such as the Srinivasa Perumal temple in Semmanjeri and further down, as one travels from Chennai, the Chenganmalishwarar temple in Chenganmal.
According the Sthala Puranam or traditional story associated with this temple, Vishnu worshipped Siva here with one thousand and eight lotuses, but finding that there was one flower short, offered his own eye to the Lingam. It is also said that the Chola king Ko Chenganan constructed this temple. Incidentally, the same ruler is believed to have constructed the Jambukeshwarar temple in Sembakkam which is close to Chenganmal.
The temple in Chenganmal is for God Siva, who is worshipped here as Chenganmalishwarar. It is a small east-facing shrine with an entranceway in front. As devotees enter the prakaram (enclosure), it is the south-facing sanctum for Goddess Parvati, known here as Brihannayaki, which is seen first. The dvajastambham (flag-post), bali-pitham, and Nandi mandapam are in front of the principal sanctum which enshrines the Lingam known as Chenganmalishwarar. The entrance to the central shrine is through a mandapa, which has pillars of the Chola style. The niches (devakoshtas) on the walls of this sanctum have images of Ganesha, Dakshinamurti, Mahavishnu, Brahma and Durga. In the prakaram are enshrined Ganesha, Subramanya with Valli and Devasena, Gajalakshmi, Kala Bhairava, Surya and Navagrahas.
Faint traces of inscriptions are seen on the outer walls of the mandapa near the entrance of the main sanctum. There is a tank outside the temple called Vishnu Tirtham while the Sthala Vriksham (sacred tree) is the Vilvam (Bilva).
Chenganmal is about forty km from Chennai on the OMR and about six km from Thiruporur. It is close to Kelambakkam.