Introduction

Dating back to the 7th century, the ancient Marundeeswarar is one of the largest temples in Chennai. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is worshipped here as Lord Marundeeswarar or the Divine Physician.

According to legend, Lord Shiva is worshipped here as the Divine Physician after He revealed the medicinal properties of herbs to the mythological sage Agastyar. Besides, Tiruvanmyur - the place where the temple is located - is abound with medicinal herbs. And it is believed that the shiva lingam at the temple was never installed but revealed itself one day.

Folklore also has it that two Saivite Saints (poet saints who sang praises of Lord Shiva in their compositions) Nayanmars Appar and Sambandar visited this temple to pay their respects to Lord Shiva.

The temple complex comprises several enclosures or mandapams; the main mandapam houses the Shiva lingam depicting Lord Marundeeswarar in a shrine, and the statuettes of the 63 Saivite Saints who spent their lives worshipping Lord Shiva. You will also find the shrines of Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya, Lord Shiva’s sons and an imposing idol of his dancing form, Nataraja.

This also includes shrines of Lord Shiva in his festival avatar as Tyagarajar, Goddess Tripurasundari - Lord Shiva’s consort, Vijayaganapati and Subramanya. The Marundeeswarar temple is also one of the few Shiva temples where the navagrahas or the nine planets are not worshipped! The temple also has 108 Shiva lingams and five huge Shiva lingams dedicated to the elements of nature.

Appreciate the architecture of the temple – the two majestic gopurams (towering multi-tiered pyramid-like structures) adorned with numerous multi-colored statuettes. The complex has n

umerous stone inscriptions dating back to the 11th century.

The temple receives a great gathering on devotees during Brahmotsavam (March-April) and Tiruvadirai (December-January).

Special Attributes

A 7th century Shiva temple with soaring gopurams.

Nuisance

Hawkers

Dressing restrictions

Dress appropriately, avoid wearing short or revealing clothes.

Connectivity

Religion and mythology fans

Enjoyed by

Religion and mythology fans

Exposure

A visit to the temple includes walking barefeet on the pathway which heats up at noon.

Avoidable Season

Open through the year

Facilities

Basic, plan accordingly

Things Not Allowed

Footwear

Tip

Plan your visit early in the morning or evening to avoid the harsh sunshine.

Type of site

Place of worship/temple