Marundeeswarar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Chennai International Airport serves the city, about 21 km southwest of the city centre.

• By train

  Thiruvanmiyur railway station, opposite Tidel Park, is on the MRTS line that runs between Velachery and the beach.

• By road

  MTC buses stop at the temple, along with the Thiruvanmiyur bus stand, the RTO office and Tidel Park.

Why devotees come here

Marundeeswarar Temple stands in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, beside the Bay of Bengal beach. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, the shrines praised in verse by the saints Appar and Sambandar in the 7th century.

Legend says Shiva taught the sage Agastya about the healing properties of herbs, and the deity took his name from this teaching. Sage Valmiki is also said to have been blessed here, and the place was named after him: Thiruvalmikiyur, which over time became Thiruvanmiyur. Markandeyar is said to have done penance and prayed to Shiva here.

Appar and Sambandar, two of the most revered Nayanars, praised the temple in verse in the 7th century. Legend says the Sun and Moon worship here at sunset, which is why the main shrine is believed to face west. The temple has long been a place of curative worship for people with diseases.

The present masonry structure was built in the Chola period in the 9th century. The Chola kings widely expanded the temple in the 11th century, and later expansions are linked to the Vijayanagar rulers. The temple was consecrated again in February 2020, after renovation. It has two entrances, one from East Coast Road and one from West Tank Street, each with a five-tiered gopuram, or gateway tower. Inside, the Somaskanda hall has 36 carved pillars, and the Shiva lingam is self-manifested, not built by hand.

Tips for your visit

• Look for the Tripurasundari Amman shrine, where inscriptions from the time of Rajendra Chola can be found.
• Shaiva Siddhanta lectures are held every day from 7 PM to 8:30 PM in the Devasriyan mantapam, inside the temple.

Questions people ask