Thirukazhukundram, approximately 70 km from Chennai, is well known for the Vedagirishwara temple. In the centre of this town is another temple for Shiva worshipped as Bhaktavatsaleshwara. This is a large temple-complex with gopurams in the four cardinal directions and numerous shrines and mandapas. This temple is closely associated with the visit of the famous Saivite devotee, Sundaramurti Nayanar in the 8th Century AD
The main sanctum which enshrines the Lingam is apsidal in shape which is called Gajaprishta in Sanskrit, meaning ‘back of an elephant’. This is a structure which is typical of the Chola era and attested by the sculptures and inscriptions found here. Goddess Parvati here is worshipped as Tripurasundari Amman, originally called Thiru Kamakotta Nachiyar as mentioned in the inscriptions.
Near the central sanctum is another one which too is apsidal. It is now used as the strong room of this temple and is known as Thiru Abharana Kottadi. It is probably the oldest part of this temple-complex as the earliest inscriptions are etched on its walls. The tall and stately gopurams belong to the Vijayanagara times of the 16th-17th centuries AD. The 16-pillar mandapa has many rare and interesting sculptures including a carving of the temple chariot.
Chola, Pandya, Vijayanagara and post-Vijayanagara period inscriptions have been found in abundance in this temple. Interestingly, an epigraph of Krishna III, the powerful Rashtrakuta ruler of 10th Century AD who ruled from Manyakheta (modern Malkhed in Karnataka) has been etched here. Some of the inscriptions mention the names of women who donated to the temple in their own right.
The other name
The original name of the principal deity was Thirukazhukundram Udaiyar
Image that is taken out
The earliest epigraph belongs to the reign of Aditya Chola I and is dated 898 AD
What was it before?
Thirukazhukundram was situated in the ancient territorial division called Kalattur-kottam
Did you know?
The Sankhu Tirtham in Thirukazhukundram is one of the largest tanks of Tamil Nadu