Mylapore of Chennai Pattanam

The people who visited Madras City, which is presently known as Chennai, must have seen the grand and magnificent Kapaliswarar temple in Mylapore. The imposing Raja Gopuram will remain in our memory. When inside this temple, we are far away from the maddening crowd and the hassle of the city. One of the great saints who composed hymns in honour of Lord Shiva is Sri Thirugyana Sampanthar. The temple is thought to have existed for a very long period because Sri Thirugyana Sampanthar has a song in praise of Lord Kapaliswarar.

The saint poet Sri Thiruvalluvar, who wrote "Thiru Kural," was also born in Mylapore, and a temple dedicated to him has been constructed there. Mylapore is one of the oldest places in the present city of Chennai. While Thiruvetriuoor is said to be the northern boundary of the Chennai Pattanam, the southern boundary was Thiruvanmiuoor. The centre of the pattanam (a seashore town) was Mylapore and Thiruvallikeeni (Triplicane).

Thanneer Thurai Anjaneya Swami Temple

Near the Thiruvalluvar temple in Mylapore, there is a famous Anjaneya Swami temple. Bhagawan Anjaneya Swamy Temple, near Sanskrit College at Mylapore, Chennai, is one of the oldest Anjaneya temples in Chennai. This temple is popularly known as "thanneer thurai Anjaneyar Koil" in the forties and fifties since this temple is situated near the "thanneer thurai" vegetable market. In those days, there were very few temples exclusively for Anjaneyar in the whole of Chennai. Since Mylapore itself has three Anjaneyar temples, presently this temple is known as Luz Anjaneyar.

Unique in many ways

The Bhagawan Anjaneya Swamy of this temple is unique in many ways. Many scholars, like Brahma Shri Anantharama Deekshithar and Shri Kripanantha Wariyar, had given discourses on the Ramayana at the Sanskrit College near this temple. Bhagawan Anjaneya Swami, who is present wherever Ramanama is spelt, had heard the Ramayana from the temple itself. This Anjaneya Swami had seen more Ramabhakthas emerging after these discourses.

The Sanskrit College was the venue for many Vedic activities, scholastic discussions on Hindu Dharma, and discourses on Puranas and Ithihasas..

Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Jagath Guru Shri Paramacharya was camping in the Sanskrit College for Chatur Masya and performing the Chandra Mouliseeswara puja. Many days after the evening puja, Shri Paramacharya had enlightened the devotees with the spiritual teachings. These spiritual teachings by Sri Paramacharya brought out clarifications on Hindu Dharma to the devotees.

Many unclear concepts that people had about Hindu Dharma—for a common man, these concepts were bordering on mystery—were clarified by his teachings. The Bhagawan Anjaneya Swami of this temple has been a witness to all these functions and activities at the Sanskrit College.

Sri Rajaji's Ramayana (retold)

Sri Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari, the first Indian Governor General of India, popularly known as Rajaji, had retold The Ramayana in Tamil under the title "Chakravarthi Thirumagan" (meaning Great Son of Emperor). Before publishing this as a serial in the Tamil weekly "Kalki," Sri Rajaji had placed the manuscript in this temple, seeking the blessings of Sri Anjaneya.

The Shilpa of Swami

The shrine of Bhagawan Anjaneya Swamy in "ardha shilpa" form is west-facing, and He is seen as if walking towards the South. On His ears He wears Kundalam, and His eyes have a bright hue. His right hand is in "Abaya mudra." His left hand is resting on the hip and holding the "gatha." On His arms, He wears an armlet known as keyura, and on His wrists are solid bangles known as kankana. His lotus feet are adorned with an anklet known as Thandai. His lankulam (tail) is raised above his head, pointing toward the South. The Bhagawan is seen resting on a lotus pedestal, as in the case of Shri Lakshmi and Shri Saraswati.

In Bhagawan Anjaneya sannidhi, one could see the utsavamoorthi of Anjaneya Swami and also a panchloka Venugopala Swamy. On to the right of Bhagawan Anjaneya Sannidhi is the Perumal Kothanda Rama Sannidhi, constructed in 1954, housing Sri Rama along with His consort Devishri Sita and His anuja Lakshmana.

Legend

It is said that the trading community of Mysore, known as "Shettys," left their hometown around 300 years ago due to torture meted out by Yousuf Khan. They had come down to Chennai and settled down in Mylapore, where potters were having their kilns, and the area was known as Kayapettai or Kosapettai. They had established the "Hanumantharaya" shilapam, which they had brought with them from Mysore here in Koyapettai. In the course of time, this trading community had merged with the trading community of Tamil Nadu and had acquired the identity of "Chettiars."

The temple was small, and one could have darshan of Bhagwan Anjaneya Swami from the main road itself. In the recent past, Rajagopuram had been built, and the temple had been enlarged with the active participation of devotees and management. It is said that on January 1 of every year, the offer of Vada Malai to Bhagawan is likely to cross five hundred in number.

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SRI HANUMAN THINKS DIFFERENTLY, THINKS FAST
THINKS AHEAD AND ACTS FOR SURE

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Ed [Prior to July 2001
Updates: Sep 2019, Dec 2024]

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