Chennai: In the busy and bustling locality of Guindy, where people are always in a hurry either to catch a bus or train or whizz past in their vehicles, one finds the restful Sri Bhavani Muthumariamman Temple.
The Amman is said to have been here for many years now but it was only during the 1970s that the temple was built. Speaking to News Today, temple vice-treasurer V Rathna Kumar says, “For many years a small Amman idol facing north was kept for worship here. My father, Vadivel, who was the president of the local administration during the early 1970s, decided to build a temple here. He first formed a five-member committee and then many members joined and by 1971 the sanctum was built around the deity. The first kumbhabhishekam was performed in the same year.”
“Some years later, the temple trust decided to change the structure of the temple and make the main deity face east. So, during the ’80s, the
structure was changed,” he says, adding that there are no records for the year in which it was done.
In 2011, the latest temple consecration took place and it was only during this time that the temple got its present structure. Inside the main sanctum sanctorum, Goddess Bhavani Muthumariamman is seen in sitting posture and beneath the idol is present another idol of the
Goddess.
On both sides of the main sanctum are separate shrines dedicated to Lord Muruga on the right and Lord Ganesha on the left. Behind the main idol on the left, is a big idol of Goddess Nagathamman under the temple’s sthala vriksha neem and peepal tree. On the right side, Navagraha sannidhi is present.
“The temple attracts a lot of people from different parts of the city and since this is placed at a busy junction, a lot of them going to their
workplace usually come here to worship,” says Ramesh, the temple priest.
One of the specialities here is the Goddess is so powerful that whatever one wishes for, will be granted by the Goddess, says the priest.
According to him, people with naga dosham also come here usually and worship Nagathamman.
Some of the important festivals of the temple include Navarathri, annual festival during the month of Aadi and Vinayagar Chathurthi. ‘During Navarathri, the special decoration is done for the Goddess on all nine days. In the month of Aadi, during the fifth week, the temple’s annual festival takes place in a grand manner for three days. Also, every month, Sankata Hara Chathurthi pooja is performed,’ says the priest.
“Every Friday, during morning and evening, special abhishekam is performed for the deity. During Chira Pournami the deity is taken out on a procession,” he adds.