Chennai: The Kothandaramar Temple in Nandambakkam, Chennai, directly connects us with the mythical days of Ramayana. The Lord Ram temple is one of the oldest in our city. It is also to be noted that Nandambakkam is where Sage Bhringi lived and did his penance.
Hindu lore has it that Lord Ram passed through this place, which was previously called ‘brindhaaranyam’, while on his quest to Lanka in search of Sita. When Sage Bhringi got to know about Lord Ram’s passing through this area, he invited him to stay over for a few days before continuing his journey.
As a comforting gesture, the Sage created a garden or a ‘Nandhavanam’ as it is called in Tamil. Thus, the place was named Nandhavanam, which later changed into Nandambakkam over the passage of time.
In the same way, Ramapuram was also named after Lord Ram’s stay in this area. The Tamil version of Ramayana written by Kambar makes a mention of this place.
The temple itself is around 750 year old and was constructed by the Vijayanagara Empire – the pioneer of temple architecture in our country. The main tower is 67 feet and it stands out because of its architectural beauty. The temple also has a garden to stay true to the origins of the legend and a pond which is named after the Sage.
The original idols which were worshipped by the Sage were installed during the construction of the Kothandaramar Temple, and later with gradual evolution, other smaller shrines for Hanuman, Alarmelmangai Thaayar and Srinivasa Perumal were added. A Krishna idol is placed in the garden.
The idols of Lord Ram along with his brothers are seen in the ‘Pattabhishekam’ posture, which represents the coronation of the God as the King of Ayodhya. Another unique feature about this historical place is that Lord Ram is seen holding Goddess Sita on his lap.
“I just got to know about this temple a few years back, but now I visit it almost every day. It fills you with awe and peace when you visit here. It is a true spectacle in our area,” says Mala, a regular visitor.
Special offerings are done here on the days of Vaikunda Ekadeshi and Ram Navami. The south-facing Shri Kothandaramar
Temple is open on all days from 7 am to 11 am and from 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm. It is located on the Mount Poonamallee road, opposite Chennai Trade Centre.
Article by Sadakshi KR