Draupathi Amman, Velachery, Chennai
Draupathi
Amman is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Goddess Draupathi, wife of Pancha Pandavas
located at Velachery, well-known locality of Chennai City in Tamil Nadu. This Temple
is situated on the Draupadi Amman Koil Street at Velachery / Dhandeeswaram /
Dhandeeswaram Colony.
Legends
Draupathi
Amman is a goddess from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, namely Draupadi, primarily
worshipped by the Tamil people of India, Sri Lanka and other countries. Draupathi
was the wife of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata epic. The Draupathi
Amman cult (or Draupathi sect) is a regional Hindu tradition in which a
community of people especially Vanniyars worship Draupathi Amman as a village
goddess with unique rituals and mythologies.
History
Draupadi
Amman Temple at Velachery is supposed to be several centuries old. The village
elders believe that most probably an ancestor belonging to the Aatreya Gothram
built it some 300 years ago. The Temple was completely ruined and the renovation
was taken up by some devotees in the late 1990s.
The
Temple
The
temple is facing north with a sanctum and a mukha mandapam. The original
temple was built with brick and it was told that the original temple was more
300 years old. The original brick temple was razed down and new temple was
constructed and the second Kumbabishekam was also performed during 2010.
Presiding
Deity is called as Draupadi Amman. She is in standing posture with a parrot on
her shoulder in the sanctum. Krishna and Pancha Pandavas can be seen on the
back side of Draupadi Amman. Utsava Idols are kept on the east side of the
sanctum. Utsava Idol of Draupadi Amman was excavated on the same place where
the sanctum exists. Sri Chakram is installed in front of Amman Mahameru.
The
Tiruvasi was erected recently. It contains, flag, Jwala, Samaram and Suryan. A
1.5-foot-high Dwajasthambam and Pothuraja with his father’s head on his left
hand in sitting posture can be seen in Antarala Palipeedam. Brahmi, Vaishnavi,
Gowri, Varahi and Vishnu Durgai are the Koshta Idols located around the sanctum
walls. Sculptures of Pancha Pandavas, Radha Krishna, Anjaneya can be seen on
the mandapam pillars.
Temple
Opening Time
The
temple remains open from 06.30 AM to 08.30 AM and 06.00 PM to 08.30 PM.
Festivals
Annual
festival is being celebrated every year during Tamil Month Chitrai 1st
(May). It will be a 10 days festival and ends with a Theemithi Thiruvizha. The Theemithi
Thiruvizha will be conducted after getting permission from Draupadi Amman. A
sword was kept in a pot of water and the sword should stand straight, if Amman
nods.
Contact
Draupadi
Amman Temple,
#13A, Draupadi
Amman Kovil
2nd
Street, Velachery,
Chennai –
600 042
Mobile: +91 98848 55888 / 94440 22589 / 90948 72587
Connectivity
The
Temple is located at about 200 meters from Dhandeeswaram Tank / Gandhi Road Bus
Stop, 1.5 Kms from Vijayanagar Bus Stand, 5 Kms from Guindy Railway Station, 6
Kms from Thiruvanmiyur, 18 Kms from Tambaram Railway Station, 2 Kms from Velachery
Railway Station, 5 Kms from Alandur Metro Station, 5 Kms from St. Thomas Mount
Metro Station, 17 Kms from Chennai Central Railway Station, 15 Kms from Egmore
Railway Station, 17 Kms from Koyambedu Bus Terminus, 6 Kms from Nangainallur, 6
Kms from Adyar and 12 Kms from Chennai Airport.
This Temple
is situated on the Draupadi Amman Koil Street at Velachery / Dhandeeswaram / Dhandeeswaram
Colony. Draupadi Amman Koil Street is just opposite to Gandhi Road. All the
Town buses towards Velachery, Medavakkam, East Tambaram passes through Gandhi
road bus stop and the temple is walkable distance from the bus stop. Nearest
Railway Station is located at Velachery and Nearest Airport is Chennai Airport.
Location
References
