The kumbabhishekam work at Madambakkam Dhenupureeswarar temple is progressing at a swift pace and as a part of this, the ‘balalayam’ of the deity, was done recently.

Now, the renovation is being carried out in the gopuram, and is expected to be completed soon, while the kadappah stone for the pathway has already been laid.

It may be noted that the kumbabhishekam-related works began in July last year, with the auspicious bhoomi pooja, which saw senior official Saravanan from the Archaeological Department, temple priests and people from the village, taking part.

According to sources, “Several works including, changing of the idols in the temple top, installing new grill gates, replacing the uthiram in garbagraham and fixing of roof tiles, have been taken up. The last such ceremony was held in 2002 and the next one should have been held in 2015. However, it has been delayed by three years.”

The temple is one among the number of sites that has been conserved and restored under the auspices of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), that has declared the space a monument of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (amendment and validation) 2010 Act.

Hence, the shrine is a National Monuments Authority-notified site, where construction is banned. “The 15th century Tamil poet Arunagirinathar’s work contains a line mentioning the temple. Here, a number of religious festivals are celebrated, including Pradosham, Panguni Uthiram and during Navarathri, devotees visit in large numbers to offer special prayers,” sources added.

Legend has it that….
The temple’s origin dates back to the Chola dynasty. It is said that saint Kapila Maharishi, was cursed by Lord Shiva to be born as a cow for his sins. As an animal, he continued to worship the Lord, by pouring milk on a Lingam which was buried in the ground. Parantaka Chola II, father of Raja Raja Chola, came to know about the Shiva lingam and then constructed a temple.

Photo: C SANTHOSH