A Temple with a Dargah within - Sri Angala Parameswari Temple, Chintadripet

Angala Parameswari Temple, Chintadripet

Chinna Thari Pettah, known commonly as Chintadripettah was a planned township, created by  President George Morton Pitt, out of Sunku Venkatachalam (Sunku Rama)'s garden in 1734. Weavers, spinners, painters, washers and dyers along with priests, attenders, cleaners and scavengers were moved from Madurai and Udayarpalayam to produce indigo, long cloth and gingham for the British market. 

Sunku Rama had been the Chief Merchant of the East India Company, growing in favour with the British officials, so much so that he even had a house allotted within Fort St George, which he used as a cloth godown. He was in good rapport with Governor Collett, who established the first weavers' colony in Madras with Telugu weavers at Kaladipet (Collettpet). Because of this relationship, Collett allotted to Sunku Rama about 87 acres of land in the basin formed by the last loop of the Cooum river before it entered the sea. 

The garden was enriched by the clean waters of the Cooum, and had several fifteen years old trees which President Pitt felt would be ideal for producing good quality cloth. Although Sunku Rama had received the garden as a grant from Governor Collett, the latter had not got it vetted by the Council and since Sunku Rama had not paid anything for it, President Pitt called the title bad, and took over the garden despite severe protests from Sunku Rama.

Some historical accounts suggest the existence of the Adikesava shrine and Angalamma, the village deity within the Sunku Rama gardens, at the time of acquisition by the British, probably existing since the Vijayanagara period. Dubash Vennala Audiyappa Narayana Chetty who had been made responsible along with Chinnathambi Mudaliar to recruit the weavers and get them settled, expanded this shrine into a temple, and built the Adipureeswara Temple next to it. Both temples share a tank. 

Beautiful Mural in the Adikesava Perumal Temple. Check out the Namam!

The Angala Parameswari Temple is found in Venkata Gramani Street. The priest says that his family have been priests to the Goddess for the last six generations. The goddess Angala Parameswari, is seen seated on a lion. With her upper hands holding paasam and ankusam (lasso and spear), and the lower hands show Abhaya and Varada hasthas. She sits with one leg folded and the other leg hanging down from the pedastal placed upon the lion.

Angala Parameswari on a lion - the main deity (Photo Courtesy: Dr R K Rudhran)

The most interesting feature in this temple is the Dargah of a Muslim saint who lived here. There seems to be no documented evidence on who he was and where he came from.The priest narrated what had been told to him over the years.  In the middle of the 18th century, the saint came to  Angalamman temple and chose to stay there. He began to cure people of their diseases. Both Hindus and Muslims came to him for getting treated and gave him food and fruits in return. When he knew his end was drawing near, he expressed his desire to be buried within the temple complex.

Angala Parameswari Amman Utsavar - (Photo Courtesy Dr R K Rudhran)

Since then, the Dargah has been worshipped and maintained by the Poojaris of the temple. Every Thursday, Sweet Bhoondhi (broken down laddu) and incense are offered to him by the temple priest. Several Muslims and Hindus come to the temple to worship on Thursdays.The anniversary of the saint is celebrated in a grand manner during the last Thursday in the Tamil month of Aadi, when his Dargah is covered with flower shawls and several people come to pray and be cured of their ailments.

The Dargah within the Angala Parameswari Temple, Chintadripet

Mayana Kollai is the main festival in any Angalamman temple. Conducted on the Shivaratri (New Moon Day in the Tamil month of Maasi), the image of Goddess Angalamman is created on the crematorium floor, with ash from burnt bodies and Putru mannu (soil from an anthill), and stuffed with live chicken, intestines of goats, grains and vegetables. The deity is taken out in a procession from the temple to the crematorium, followed by devotees dressed like Angalamman to show gratitude for prayers being answered. At the end of the procession, the poojari, in a stupor, falls upon the Angalamman image made on the ground, thereby exposing the stuffing. He comes up biting either a live chicken or the intestine of a goat. This signals the beginning of Mayana Kollai. People who have had their prayers answered, start throwing up grains, fruits, biscuits etc towards the other people in the crowd who collect these in towels or upper garments. People gather the Putru Mannu in a cloth and tie it up above their front door or sprinkle it in their fields for a better harvest.

A priest during Mayana Kollai (Photo Courtesy: The New Indian Express)

In this temple, Mayana Kollai used to be conducted at the Krishnampet Burial Ground. However, due to traffic and other political challenges, they are now performing the Mayanakollai within the temple itself. This year's Mayanakollai will be performed on February 20th, 2020. 

"This temple symbolises the harmony with which people of all religions have been living in Chintadripet", says the priest. Just what is needed in our country today!

Updated on 9.2.2020 - Sharing an article from Vikatan titled "Enga Kula Saami" where famous psychiatriast of Chennai, Dr R K Rudhran, speaks about the temple and its glory. He says, "In my  young days, I have seen the temple being spread over four streets whereas now all that remains is the small shrine. Other than a small house for the Poosari, no other buildings were found on this road.  My father was a Tamil Scholar from Narasingapuram (where Ritchie Street stands now) and this is our family deity. Even people who have migrated to other countries from Chintadripet come here to pray during Sivarathri and Mayana Kollai. The priests and the devotees worship both the deity and the Dargah with the same amount of devotion. Taking the blessings of your family deity before starting anything new, is like taking the blessings of all your ancestors. When I was in medical school, I had to also earn to support my studies and the family. So I drew advertisement banners in the evenings and during day, I attended college. When I first purchased a stethoscope, I placed it before her, praying that she should guide me and my patients in getting relief. Today I am a successful doctor because of her grace".

The Vikatan article in Tamil:

How to get here: 

The Angala Parameswari Temple is found on Venkata Gramani Street. off Arunachalam Road, in Chintadripet. 

Temple Timings:

The temple is open from 7 am to 10 pm in the morning and from 5 pm to 8 pm in the evening.

Muthuservamadam Varadaraja Perumal

Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

I first heard about Muthuservamadam about 18 months ago, when Kaushik Ramachandran, a long term patron and volunteer of Aalayam Kanden Trust mentioned it to me. He sent me pictures of a dilapidated brick temple, with the Varadaraja Swamy and his consorts covered in lime plaster and asked me if I could visit and help create awareness and support for the temple.

Dilapidated state of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam 18 months ago

He further mentioned that the youth from the village were very eager in getting the temple up and running and this really warmed my heart. However, my tight schedule did not allow me to visit the temple immediately. This year round, when I went home for Pongal, I was determined to visit.

The Varadaraja Perumal, Muthuservamadam covered in lime plaster earlier

Muthuservamadam is about a kilometre away from NH 36, flanked by Gangaikondacholapuram and Meensurutti. Despite being so close to the tourist map, it is a pity that this temple has had poor patronage and has fallen into ruins. One look at the arch that welcomes us gives an idea of how magnificent this temple would have looked during its "achche din".

The huge arch at the entrace of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

The temple had been closed for worship for as long as forty years. The mahamandapa and the temple campus had turned into a convenient den for the men in and around the village to drink and make merry. A team of committed youth from the village, with the guidance of a few village elders decided three years ago that they were going to turn the temple around, and bring it back to worship. A lot has been achieved during this time. Whatever repairs and renovations have been carried out, have been done, without further damaging the stucco or icons wherever they are. While this might not look visibly pretty, the intention of the villagers to retain as much of the antiquity as they can, must be appreciated.

Repairs in progress currently at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

The temple has over 80 acres of land, all being cultivated by individuals who do not give anything in return to the temple. However, the youth had been able to garner the support of the villagers in collecting funds to first clear the temple and its shrines of garbage and spruce up the pillars and the main vimana (now looks like a gopuram in Brahadeswara temple style). The deities - Garuda and Hanuman have been removed from their broken down shrines and placed in the sanctum along with Varadaraja Swamy and his consorts.

The vimanam being redone without removing the stucco idols therein

The main deity Varadaraja Swamy, belonging to the 12th century CE had originally been covered with lime plaster and painted. So were his consorts and dwarapalakas. However, now the lime plaster which was already peeling off, has been scrapped out completely. The idols are dry and pale, due to lack of attention. 

Varadaraja Perumal, Muthuservamadam

There is a very beautiful Hanuman of probably the 14th or 15th CE with one leg folded behind him, and the other leg bent forward. A small Garudalwar probably of the same period as the main deity is also found. 

Hanuman at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

The Mahamandapa is in the unique Vavval Nethi mandapa style (shaped like a bat's forehead) - a unique form popularized by the chola architects. Very few temples have this form of architecture, which was specialised only by a few. During the renovation, the pillared portions of either sides of the Vavval Nethi Mandapam have been straightened out as there are no artisans currently available to recreate it.

Vavval Nethi Mandapam in Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

A gate has also been installed to ensure the safety of the deities. Going around the campus, one cannot but admire the magnificence of the laterite brick wall around it. Each laterite brick measures and weighs atleast twice as that of a regular brick.

The beautiful Matapalli at the temple

The villagers are determined to complete the kumbabhishegam of the temple this summer. All they need is to complete the flooring and repair the walls around, the cost of which has been estimated at around Rs.7,50,000. The villagers are sure if there were inscriptions in the temple, as many of them had only visited the temple for the first time, about three years ago. If they had been there, they are probably lost to time.

The sprawling campus of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

They appeal to the benevolent public to support them with any historical or epigraphic evidence about the temple, that will help them in creating awareness and raising funds for the temple. Any uzhavarapani kuzhus that are willing and open to do uzhavaram in Perumal temples may please help in clearing the vegetation at the temple. I find it extremely disappointing that uzhavarapani, the noble act of clearing vegetation and sprucing up the temples is most often restricted to Shiva temples. With all due respect, I would urge these noble people to kindly go beyond these self-imposed restrictions and extend their services to deserving Perumal temples as well - after all, "Hariyum Sivanum Onru", isn't it?

The village volunteer team at Muthuservamadam

The youth of the village are eager and enthusiastic and with a little bit of support - in material, money, manpower and mentorship, they will be able to keep the temple up and running!! If you are one of those people who are desirous of empowering them to do this, please do get in touch with Mr Manikandan whose coordinates are given below.

Any help you can offer to this beautiful temple, is worth its weight in gold!

The doorway at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

 How to reach here:

Muthuservamadam is 3 kms from Gangaikondacholapuram and 5 kms from Meensurutty and Jayamkondam respectively.

GPS Coordinates of the temple: 11.222853, 79.462087

Temple timings: At the moment since the temple is under Balalayam, it can be visited at any time during the day, after giving prior intimation.

Contact details: Manikandan - +91 78710 02298